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Introduction

Spring Break Take Action (SBTA) is a week-long volunteer internship of the Labor/Community Strategy Center’s Community Rights Campaign for youth of color and working class youth in LAUSD high schools. SBTA is a program that gives youth a chance to see how they can become organizers in their community and to get more involved in the work of the Strategy Center. 

Spring Break Take Action 2009

From April 6th-10th, the Labor Community Strategy Center held its third annual Spring Break Take Action volunteer internship where students spent their spring break vacation learning about the history of the expansion of the prison system over the last thirty years, most specifically in California, and the impacts that the largest prison system in the world has had on our communities. Along with understanding the conditions that have allowed for a 700% increase in the California prison population in less than 25 years, the students also studied successful models of intervention and prevention that reduce crime and the prison population without using incarceration and community suppression as the first and only solution.
A video overview of the April 2009 program, with footage of students in the program from North Hollywood, Westchester and Cleveland High School in action, and in reflection on the curriculum.
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Students' Blogs & Comments, Discussion

  • What I liked this year about Spring Break Take Action
    Jackie Hill

    Spring Break Take Action this past week really challenged me-in a good way. SBTA teaches us to communicate to our people that we have a common struggle.

  • Reflections on Spring Break political education
    Cristian Rendón

    The discussions in the last few days of Spring Break Take Action have a connection to the topic of Prison Industrial Complex. This is a major issue that needs to be dealt with. Reality is, this is actually something that has a negative affect on many of us, if not directly then indirectly. It affects us in the sense that it can lead to you being separated from family members, like not being able to have a relationship with your own father, mother or any other person.

  • Thinking about the War on Drugs at SBTA
    Jahmal Rivas

    My name is Jahmal, and today we read and discussed this extremely interesting article on the Drug War by Graham Boyd. This 'war' on drugs is paralleled to America's dark history of slavery, seeing as how the number of black men in jail is equals the number of black men enslaved in the 1820s.

  • First day on the buses with Spring Break Take Action
    Kassie Walters

    Today was the first day we went out on the buses to organize people. Honestly it was very interesting, because it was the first time that I have actually tried it. It was kind of awkward because you're on a bumpy metro bus trying to keep your balance and hand out flyers at the same time, lol! The best conversation I had was with a man who worked for LAUSD, because... well...he works for LAUSD!

  • My first day at Spring Break Take Action
    John Salinas

    My name is John Salinas, I am a 9th grader at North Hollywood High School. I have been a member of the BRU for 3 months. What I really liked about my first day in Spring Break Take Action is how easily I spoke out because normally I am a shy person. I usually do not engage in a conversation, I just step back and let other people speak. I'm usually shy because I'm afraid of responding wrong or saying something that I think may not be suitable for the discussion.

Organizer's Corner

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This Year's Photo Album

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Apply Now for SBTA '10

Click here to apply for the Spring Break Take Action.

Help Keep Our Program Running!

Please consider making a financial contribution to keep this valuable program running for future generations of local youth. Please donate today to keep SBTA alive!