Last month, Centinela Youth Services commemorated its 50th anniversary with a moving community celebration.  The evening opened with reflections on five decades of restorative work, followed by heartfelt recognition of individuals whose efforts continue to transform lives across the region. Kaci Patterson received the Transformation Award for her unwavering commitment to community-centered reform. Judge Katherine Lucero and Victoria Birch were honored with the Innovator A

This year, Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated nationally from September 15 to October 15, and honors the rich history, culture, and contributions of Latino and Hispanic communities in the U.S. With more than 60 million Latinos in the U.S - and one in four people identifying as Hispanic or Latino-Hispanic heritage represents a vital and foundational part of our nation's identity. ( 1 ) During this month and beyond, we stand committed to our honoring, uplifting, and collabor

In recent weeks, families across our community have been deeply impacted by intensifying immigration enforcement activity. At CYS, we’ve...

June 19, 1865, or “Juneteenth”, marks the end of slavery in the United States (read more about its history here ). Since then, while...

For approximately half the year, or 180 days, youth spend their days at school and in class with their teachers. While in class together,...

When examining the current state of restorative justice, criminal justice reform, and racial justice work, you will find an innumerable...

On November 14th, Centinela Youth Services hosted a live and virtual community circle discussion. We invited students, school staff,...

Check out this hour-long recorded Zoom webinar from November 14, 2024. Observe a live and public circle discussion on mall takeovers....

🌟 Join Us for a Virtual Community Circle Discussion on Mall Takeovers! CYS invites you to an engaging and interactive Community Circle...

CYS just wrapped up our 2nd Community Mediator Institute (CMI) training series in Lennox, CA. CMI is a 30-hour training focused on...

We’re excited to announce a significant expansion of our Transformation Team! Over the past two months, we've welcomed three new members...

CYS Executive Director, Jessica Ellis, recently joined an impressive group of panelists during a webinar hosted through The Sentencing...

A huge congratulations to our most recent training cohort on completing the pilot Community Mediator Institute (CMI) training. The...

In light of Juneteenth  this past week, CYS would like to highlight our commitment to Black Equity this month, all months, and in...

For the first time in 4 1/2 years, CYS is back to facilitating in-person mediation trainings. The Community Mediator Institute (CMI)  is...

CYS Awarded $1 Million Grant from Trauma Prevention Partnerships (TPP) Initiative This $1 million grant, part of a collaboration between...

We are honored to share huge news! Centinela Youth Services has been selected to receive a $2 million gift as an awardee of the Yield...

According to a recent LA County Hate Crime report , 72% of hate crimes are of a violent nature, 57% of hate crimes are racially...

Apology letters are one of the most effective tools we have to reduce or resolve conflict. They cannot only be healing for the person...