Location: Sacramento, CA
Region: California
Founding: 2020
Founders/leadership: An Nguyen, program manager, liaison; Josephine Young
The President’s Youth Council (PYC) is a body of youth ambassadors from across California that serves in partnership with the CEO of the California Endowment to ultimately shape the Endowment’s investments and culture. Dr. Robert K. Ross formed PYC in a genuine effort to integrate youth input and decision making into the Endowment. PYC members work as thought partners in redefining wellness for young Californians and provide a youth perspective in advancing health equity and health justice campaigns while strengthening youth voice and leadership across communities, statewide and nationally.
PYC envisions a world where young people of color are at the center of an intergenerational movement to create a healthy, just, and equitable California. These ambassadors provide community perspective by centering youth voices and cultivating narrative and systems change through storytelling while supporting health equity for underserved communities across the state. PYC members earn a yearly stipend, further their skills, and gain access to networking and mentoring opportunities. They also participate in youth development opportunities that strengthen their leadership skills and help them be more effective advocates for their communities.