Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) is an American non-governmental organization founded in 1968 in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Initially created to empower Latino youth, it later expanded its mission to include youth of all races with the aim of empowering young people and their families to "achieve a successful transition to adulthood through multi-cultural, comprehensive and innovative programs that address youths' social, academic and career needs." [1]
LAYC serves more than 4,000 youth (ages 0-26) of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Its primary goal is to provide young people the support they need to successfully transition into adulthood through comprehensive programming.
In 2016, DC approved the Ending Youth Homelessness Act and created two drop-in centers; one of them, in Columbia Heights (a few blocks from Columbia Heights station) is managed by LAYC. Youth can go during daytime to take a shower, eat a meal, wash their clothes and study for GED tests without any appointment. Regardless or their appearance or state of sobriety, they will receive substance abuse counseling, HIV testing, mental-health care, and housing referrals. [2] [3]
LAYC is supported by the District of Columbia, and two Maryland counties - Prince George and Montgomery. It also receives fundraising from individual donors, corporate donors and foundations, donor advised funds, and other generous philanthropic organizations. [4] In 2021 LAYC's budget was US$15,185,070. [5]
LAYC programs focus on housing, social services, community wellness, education, workforce investment and social enterprise, arts and media programs, among others. [6] [7] [8]
The LAYC Career Academy is a program to support and provide resources for young people to study for their GED certificate or to help them enter a career of their choosing. [9]
James Gordon "Bo" Gritz is a retired United States Army Special Forces officer who served with distinction during the Vietnam War. Following his military career, Gritz became involved in various attempts to rescue prisoners of war (POWs) associated with the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue.
Columbia Heights is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in Northwest D.C. The neighborhood is an important retail hub for the area, as home to DC USA mall and to numerous other restaurants and stores, primarily along the highly commercialized 14th Street. Columbia Heights is home to numerous historical landmarks, including Meridian Hill Park, National Baptist Memorial Church, All Souls Church, along with a number of embassy buildings.
David Roosevelt Johnson was a Liberian who led a rebel group during the country's civil war. He was not a member of the Krahn ethnic group he fought for; however, his wife was Krahn.
Alison Starling-Alexander is an American former television news anchor and journalist. She was a co-anchor of WJLA-TV's weekday 4 PM and 5PM newscasts, and an anchor semi-regularly on the noon newscast. She stepped down from the station on November 22, 2023, citing a desire to spend more time with her family.
The culture of Washington, D.C. is reflected in its status as the capital of the United States and the presence of the federal government, its large Black population, and its role as the largest city in the Chesapeake Bay region. The presence of the U.S. federal government, in particular, has been instrumental in developing numerous cultural institutions throughout the city, such as museums and performing arts centers. The city's historic Black population has also helped drive cultural activities and artistic pursuits. During the early 20th century, for example, Washington's U Street Corridor became an important center for African American culture.
Eugene Robert LaRocque was a rear admiral of the US Navy. He founded the Center for Defense Information in 1971.
The Royal Sonesta Washington DC Dupont Circle is a 335-room, boutique hotel located at 2121 P Street Northwest in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Day Deborah Rica Lipford, now known as Dr. Day Gardner, is a former Miss Atlantic City, (1974) who served as Miss Delaware 1976 and made history by becoming the first African American contestant to place as a top ten semi-finalist at the Miss America 1977 pageant.
Moises V. "Moe" Vela Jr. is an American attorney and political advisor. Vela is the CEO and president of The Vela Group, LLC, a global business development consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. He is also of counsel at the law firm of Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner.
The Madison Hotel is a luxury hotel in Washington, D.C., built in 1963.
Luis Salgado is a Puerto Rican performer, director, choreographer, and producer. His career has led him to Broadway, film, television, and stages around the world. He served as associate director and choreographer of Cirque du Soleil's Paramour that opened April 16, 2019 at the Neue Flora theatre in Hamburg, Germany. He has worked with directors, choreographers and performers such as Andy Blankenbuehler, Jerry Mitchell, Sergio Trujillo, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Patti LuPone, Laura Benanti, Patrick Dempsey and Diego Luna.
Dash's Designer, more commonly called Dash's, was an off-price, high-end men's clothing store chain based in Washington, D.C., Georgetown, Maryland, and Tysons Corner, Virginia.
Million Student March is a day-of-action student protest movement in the United States of America involving 110 college campuses and high school students, undergraduate students, graduate students, and college campus workers, from campuses across the country marching in protest against high tuition fees and student debt. The movement also demands the minimum wage for college campus workers be $15 an hour. The movement states that the march is in response to a financial crisis in the United States of America caused by the economic decline in 2008. The movement has been endorsed by politicians such as Bernie Sanders.
The Office on Latino Affairs of the District of Columbia (OLA) was created by the passage of DC Law 1-86 by the city council on September 29, 1976, and was made part of the Executive office of the Mayor of the District of Columbia. The original bill co-sponsors included city council-members Marion S. Barry, Polly Shackleton, and John A. Wilson
As of 2016, the Hispanic and Latino community made up nine percent of Washington, D.C.'s population, and 44.9 percent of non-English-speaking households spoke Spanish. The district’s Latino population has been increasing steadily since the 1980s as its total population has declined. More immigrants from Latin American countries have settled in the district, and there has been an increase in births to Latina mothers compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Latinos living in D.C. are more likely to be immigrants than non-Latinos, and Latino immigrants in the district are predominantly from El Salvador, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. D.C. Latino households are more likely to consist of a married couple than non-Latino households, and include more children.
Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School is a charter school for adults in Washington D.C.
The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It is a parish church of the Archdiocese of Washington.
Élmer Emilio Huerta Ramírez, is a Peruvian medical oncologist and internist, public health specialist in epidemiology, and health communicator based in the United States. He studied Medicine (MD) at the Faculty of Medicine San Fernando of the National University of San Marcos in Peru and a Master in Public Health (MPH) at Johns Hopkins University in the United States. He was president of the American Cancer Society between 2007 and 2008, being the first Latino president of this prestigious organization. He founded the Cancer Preventory, which he runs, at the MedStar Washington Hospital Center Cancer Institute in Washington, DC. He is also considered a pioneer in the use of the media for educational purposes in Latin America. As a specialist in oncology, internal medicine, and public health in epidemiology, he is the official collaborator in medical issues for the main Spanish-language media in the United States and Peru, including CNN in Spanish, Univisión, Telemundo, RPP Noticias, El Comercio and América Televisión.
Casa Ruby was a non-profit organization and community center in Washington, D.C. that provided housing, food, and other social services to LGBTQ people, primarily transgender, and gender queer people. Casa Ruby was founded by Ruby Corado and first opened in 2012. The organization was bilingual, providing services in both English and Spanish.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)