June 12, 2026

LA County Department of Youth Development Celebrates Success of Inaugural Youth Incubation Academy

Partnership with the Liberty Hill Foundation Empowers 25 Community Organizations to Elevate Their Programming and Master County Contracting Processes

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles County Department of Youth Development (DYD), in partnership with the Liberty Hill Foundation, is proud to announce the completion of the inaugural Youth Incubation Academy. Designed to address specific capacity and structural challenges that often prevent non-profits from reaching their maximum impact, the program represents a significant step forward in the county’s commitment to expanding youth development resources and care-first initiatives.

“The Youth Incubation Academy represents a vital investment in the frontline leaders who know our communities best,” said David J. Carroll, Director of the LA County Department of Youth Development. “We’re dedicated to providing these organizations with the practical training, steady support, and technical assistance they need to maximize their impact. By empowering local grassroots teams, we’re building a strong, county-wide network that puts care, equity, and real opportunity first for all young people.”

DYD united 25 community-rooted organizations for the first academy cohort, utilizing Liberty Hill’s expertise to provide intensive capacity building, targeted mentorship, and technical training to ensure participants are structurally prepared for county contracting processes and positioned to execute transformative programming across Los Angeles County.

“The progress Los Angeles has made, from historic declines in youth crime to a growing commitment to care over punishment, doesn’t happen by accident,” said Lisa Small, Senior Director of Youth and Transformative Justice at Liberty Hill Foundation. “It is possible because of a sustained investment in the organizers, community caregivers, and organizations that create real safety for young people, their families, and their neighborhoods. This partnership reflects our continued commitment to protect and strengthen that progress, to stand with our prevention workers and be responsive to them, and to build the future our young people deserve.”

The academy included specialized training designed to master fundraising, strategic storytelling, and modern communications. Following months of targeted coaching and deep peer collaboration, cohort participants emerged equipped with advanced operational strategies, energized by the collective process, and optimistic about driving long-term sustainability for their respective organizations.

“This program met the needs of a whole organization by being able to have the one-on-one coaching and the once-a-month trainings we attended,” said Margaret Hicks, Chief Operating Officer of Marzette’s House. “This is an experience like no other. It’s something that’s going to help us move forward and be able to help everybody in the community.”

Building on the momentum of this inaugural cohort, DYD is exploring options to expand the Incubation Academy model to other community-based organizations. By scaling this successful framework, DYD aims to empower a growing network of local leaders with the resources and structural capacity needed to deliver meaningful, life-changing outcomes for LA County youth.

View pictures and hear from Youth Incubation Academy grantees at youtube.com/@LACountyDYD.

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About the Department of Youth Development (DYD)

The Los Angeles County Department of Youth Development (DYD) partners with community organizations to connect youth and families to resources, opportunities, and care. DYD connects young people and families to a continuum of developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, trauma-informed support that supports youth well-being and reduces system involvement. DYD’s work centers youth voices, collaborative solutions, and building safer communities through healing and opportunity.

To learn more, visit DYD.LA and follow @LACountyYouth on Instagram.