YCN was established in 2016 by a group of minority STEM professionals who live in Richmond, California as an independent 501(c)(3) Organization. They provide after-school STEM and intervention programs for under served and disadvantaged students in the community.
Prior to starting YCN, members of YCN mentored and tutored peers in college who were also under served and disadvantaged. The work with college level students helped them see the students’ academic challenges were a result of poor and inadequate preparation at an early age. With this experience, along with being minorities in the STEM field, they were determined to make a difference.As a result, YCN was created. YCN is an intervention after school program designed to strengthen students’ academic performance, provide guidance and mentorship at an early age. As founders navigating the intersectionality of being female, immigrant, and minority –they have had to forge ahead underrepresented and unaided in STEM fields. Therefore, they have the expertise and experience in helping students coming from these communities. They are keen in spotting language barriers, lack of access, and understanding of culture in underrepresented students which often go unnoticed. They have the collective social capital to make a positive impact in the lives of students in the community because they understand many of the challenges our youth face.