At Youth City Lab, the young are encouraged to find their own voices; to unite and harmonize them to get louder and clearer; to be heard by the people and policymakers who are shaping their future.
Dustin LaFont is the Executive Director of Front Yard Bikes. When he was a public school teacher, Dustin began repairing bikes with a few neighborhood kids on his front yard in the summer of 2010. Demand grew and people rallied behind the project. Since then, FYB has served more than 2,000 children, who have fixed bikes to earn one of their own. With two after school sites and a full-service bike shop in Mid City, the nonprofit has become the largest community bike shop in the state and hopes to do even more with the amazing teens that champion the good work.
Dr. Anna West is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Humanities Amped. For over 22 years, Anna has co-created multiple community youth organizations that focus on the intersection of humanities and social change. Humanities Amped is among them. She earned a PhD in English Education from Louisiana State University and a master’s in education from Harvard Graduate School of Education.
For more information about the work at the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, don't forget to visit braf.org.