By Vanguard Staff
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Yolo County Children’s Alliance is inviting community members to learn about and help shape a workforce development initiative aimed at creating career pathways for young mothers and Black, Indigenous and other youth of color across Yolo County.
The organization announced this week that it will host the We Prosper Together Community Forum on June 25 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the West Sacramento Community Center. The free event is designed as an open-house-style forum where residents, community partners and stakeholders can learn about the Community Health Worker Workforce Pathway Pilot and provide feedback on its development.
According to the organization, the pilot seeks to address workforce development and community health needs simultaneously by creating employment pathways for young people who have faced significant barriers to entering the workforce.
The event will include interpretation services in Spanish, Dari and Russian. Organizers said attendees will be able to explore a range of topics through interactive stations and conversations, including the role of the Community Advisory Board, workforce development programming, youth leadership initiatives, support services and early results from the project.
The pilot is funded through the Catalyst Program administered by Valley Vision and California Jobs First. Organizers describe the initiative as being based on the idea that young mothers and BIPOC youth who have encountered employment barriers are uniquely positioned to serve as trusted health connectors within their communities.
The program targets 20 young BIPOC women living in Davis, Woodland and West Sacramento. Participants complete an eight-week curriculum that includes mentorship, soft-skill development, job-readiness training and support services designed to address barriers such as transportation and other challenges that can impede employment opportunities.
The project is being carried out through a partnership between Yolo County Children’s Alliance and two anchor organizations.
According to the release, All Leaders Must Serve provides mentorship and soft-skills training through its Trust Series curriculum, which has been customized for community health worker career pathways. The organization also connects participants with health care employers through mock interviews and feedback sessions.
The Los Rios Community College District and Sacramento City College provide academic and workforce training components, giving participants access to coursework and credentials intended to support long-term employment in community health careers.
Yolo County Children’s Alliance said the collaboration is intended to create a workforce development model that can be expanded throughout Yolo County and potentially replicated elsewhere in the region.
“This isn’t a program done for our community — it’s one built with it. We’re here to share what we’ve learned, celebrate the people who made it happen, and invite Yolo County to be part of what comes next,” said Olivia Arnold, development director for Yolo County Children’s Alliance.
The June 25 event is the first of two community forums planned as part of the pilot program. Organizers also announced a second forum scheduled for Sept. 10 at the West Sacramento Community Center.
According to Yolo County Children’s Alliance, the September event will mark the conclusion of the pilot and will focus on participant achievements, final outcomes and discussions about the future of community health worker workforce pathways in Yolo County.
Yolo County Children’s Alliance describes itself as a collective-impact organization focused on helping children and families thrive through partnerships, programs and policy initiatives that address educational, health and economic inequities throughout the county.
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