On November 13, 2024, KYCC Prevention Education’s MYPARC interns were honored in a graduation ceremony for their environmental initiatives this season, where they shared their research findings with peers, parents, guardians, and members of our MacArthur Park Community Initiative’s (MPCI) Community Advisory Board. 

 

The MYPARC Leadership Program aims to empower interns to tackle the challenge of hazardous tobacco and cannabis waste at MacArthur Park by engaging in research and community involvement.

 

This year’s program concentrated on creating youth-led research projects, in which interns gathered and analyzed data through public opinion surveys and waste collection initiatives. This data is subsequently utilized to develop educational resources and intervention strategies designed to tackle the issues of hazardous tobacco and cannabis waste at MacArthur Park. 

 

This internship has made a substantial difference for ten local youth residents, ages 13-18, from the Westlake community. Throughout their internship, they were able to organize two intergenerational activities that positively impacted the MacArthur Park community, coordinate three waste collection days, collect insights from 100 public opinion surveys, and engage in many other initiatives. 

 

This experience has acted as a catalyst for empowerment, instilling a deep belief in these young individuals that they can affect meaningful and positive change in their community.

 

“Some skills that I learned during this internship that I can use in the community is I can talk to students who I know are using substances and explain to them the disadvantages of it,” says MPCI intern, Metzly Dominguez.

In addition to their coursework, the youth produced short films showcased in their community, organized Lakeside Activities for families at MacArthur Park, participated in field trips that highlighted the natural beauty of Los Angeles, and gained insight into local government through an in-depth tour of City Hall!

Funding by Sierra Health Foundation and Elevate Youth California Proposition 64 

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