Seeds of Change – SF Youth Justice Initiative

SEEDS OF CHANGE (SEEDS) is a prevention program under Huckleberry Youth Programs' Justice Division and part of the San Francisco Youth Justice Initiative. 

The initiative brings together community organizations and legal partners, including Coleman Advocates for Youth, Young Community Developers, Legal Services for Children, Disability Rights California, and the Youth Law Center.

Our shared goal is to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline by reducing suspension and chronic absenteeism rates among middle school students in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). Our strategy to achieve this goal involves a coordinated and comprehensive approach that integrates policy work, legal defense, case management, community organizing, and advocacy.

SEEDS empowers middle school students and their families to reconnect with school, ensuring a smooth transition to high school, and providing the necessary tools for a successful path toward graduation while avoiding involvement in the juvenile legal system. SEEDS supports students from three schools in the San Francisco Unified School District that rank among the seven highest-suspending middle schools in the district: Willie L. Brown, Jr. Middle School, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Middle School, and James Denman Middle School. 
 
What does our support look like?
Weekly/bi-weekly:
  • Academic assistance/advocacy & intervention in and out of the classroom
  • Individualized case management focused on social emotional learning/development & academics
  • Individual & family mental health services
  • Caregiver education and school-system navigation support
Additional program offerings:
  • Field trips
  • Pro-social activities
  • Workshops w/ paid participation
  • Incentives based on progress 
  • Pro bono legal aid from initiative partners for school-based legal issues (Disability Rights California for SPED matters, suspension, and expulsion of students with IEPs, and Legal Services for Children for suspension and expulsion of students without IEPs).

The San Francisco Youth Justice Initiative draws upon Huckleberry's 25 years of experience in working in juvenile justice reform.

Funded by a grant from the Crankstart Foundation, the Initiative aims to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline by working with San Francisco middle school youth who are struggling with behavioral and/or truancy concerns.