ROOTED

Youth Leadership

ROOTED is OCAPICA’s Youth Leadership and Development Fellowship that empowers high school students across the Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD) to become active leaders in their communities and future careers. Our mission is to unlock the potential of socially aware young leaders who are ROOTED in justice and who cultivate change for themselves and their communities. This program focuses on leadership through social justice, civic engagement, career development, and wellness (as known as the “4 Pillars of ROOTED”).

ROOTED provides various opportunities, such as:

Building new connections with other students and program leaders
Mentorship from program leaders
Learning from panels of working professionals
Professional development including leadership experiences
Networking
Attending college tours
Open discussions on social justice topics
Engaging with the community in civic engagement event
Wellness workshops
Self-growth/personal development

By completing the 14-week Fellowship, ROOTED participants, known as ROOTED Fellows, can earn 2 certificates signed by national and state public officials and qualify for future leadership and internship opportunities through OCAPICA as ROOTED Alumni/graduates. For more information on ROOTED, visit @ocapicayouth on Instagram.

ROOTED Contact Information:
Monica Tran, Youth Program Coordinator - ROOTED
Email: mtran@ocapica.org
Phone: (714) 794-5079

Our Four Main Pillars

Social Justice Education

"Because of ROOTED, I have learned a lot more about identity, expression, and injustices. These topics are not something that you learn about in school but are so important to live in a healthy and strong community. I don't feel afraid to educate and advocate for stuff that I believe in which is very important to enact change."
- Azul Jadiel Valdez, Kennedy, 12

Civic Engagement

"Being around other people who want to push for justice at ROOTED sessions has given me encouragement to do better which is why even though a podcast is very bold for me to do, I feel like it is exactly what will help me to get my voice out there and teach me to fight for what I believe needs to be done."
- Francesca Bautista, Kennedy, 11

Career Development

"I really liked how [ROOTED] invited professionals from different career fields and allowed them to share their experiences with us. Hearing that these professionals have gone so far in life even if they didn’t do that well in high school made me feel more at ease."
- Jessica Ly, Oxford, 11

Wellness

"Every session in ROOTED has always been a highlight of my day. I could have the most horrible day and mood from school but when I got to the session, I'm welcomed by people who check up on me and who I can talk with."
- Jana Boqueo, Savanna, 9

Throughout the semester, ROOTED Fellows work on Activism Projects where they use their knowledge from the program to cultivate change in their communities. Their projects are presented towards the end of the semester to community partners, school faculty, families, and peers at the Activism Showcase. Save the date for Tuesday, May 2nd, 5:30 PM - 8 PM, at the Western High School Auditorium!

ROOTED features working professionals from various industries and welcomes new opportunities that can further enhance the students' career development. Please contact Monica Tran at mtran@ocapica.org to get involved, as we would love to have you.

"To me, ROOTED represents the voices and opinions every single one of us has. I think our activism projects clearly show this quality. Through our activism projects, we were able to stand up for issues that we believed were detrimental to our society and communities. As a result, ROOTED is also a clear representation of being a true leader in your community. I was a leader in my community, fighting food insecurity and environmental racism." - Roy Kang, Cypress, 11