Deep growth for teen students from Rival neighborhoods.

Over the past year, our teen program, in collaboration with OC United, recognized the potential for unity among youth from rival communities by utilizing outdoor adventure experiences. Hiking became the activity of choice, and the three teen centers representing four neighborhoods embarked on hikes in the surrounding mountains and nature preserves in the area. The beginning was rough, and the groups stayed close to their friends they felt most comfortable with. Slowly, after multiple hikes and shared experiences, conversations across groups seeped in, and relationships began to blossom. The goal of the hikes was not only to break down the barriers between the teens but also to equip and show the possibilities that, through their unity and growth together, their collective voices could create community transformation in similar neighborhoods across the city.

The pinnacle of these hikes was the final project, leading what we called “neighborhood hikes.” Each group of teens took turns preparing for and orchestrating a hike, leading the other teens through their own neighborhood. During the hikes, the teens engaged in a unique exchange by answering three key questions: where is the best place to get an after-school snack, where is the most beautiful place in the neighborhood, and where have they seen the most pain? The intention was to highlight the common ground and shared experiences that transcended neighborhood boundaries.

As the teens led their portions of the hike, a surprising realization unfolded – the answers to the questions were remarkably similar across neighborhoods. In the beginning, the teens assumed their neighborhood would be vastly different from the others. Some of them stated that they felt embarrassed and that the other teens would think they are “poor.” As the hikes unfolded, they began to realize they had much more in common than they could have imagined.

The most impactful moment came when the teens answered the question about the most significant source of pain in their neighborhood. Astonishingly, the response was un-planned yet unanimous from each hike: the death of a friend due to violence was each neighborhood's greatest source of pain.

After the hikes, the group bought food from a local neighborhood restaurant and shared a meal togehter while they de-briefed their experience.

This powerful moment served as a reminder of the shared barriers the teens face, but it also highlighted that deep change is possible when teens are given the opportunity to use their voices, dispelling misconceptions, and working together to bridge gaps that their neighborhoods often dictate should remain uncrossed. Our teen programs were proud to demonstrate that unity and understanding can emerge even in the most unlikely places.

As these groups continue to grow in deep relationships in 2024, there is a plan to establish a “South Fullerton Youth Collaborative” that gives teens from rival neighborhoods the opportunity to use their unified voices for the transformation and representation of Latino immigrant communities in Fullerton and beyond.

Will you invest in more opportunities for deep growth that is breaking barriers and transforming Latino immigrant neighborhoods one relationship at a time?