About
Who we are, why we exist, and the people behind Youth Civic Bridge.
FOUNDER'S STORY
Why I Started YCB
I watched my friends in Bellevue pour their energy into bake sales and fundraisers to help our schools. But our district was facing a real funding crisis, and nobody was talking about why. The problem wasn't generosity. It was that none of us understood how school funding actually worked.
When a single policy decision changes in Olympia, it affects 295 school districts and over 1.1 million students across Washington State. That felt too important for students to ignore. We should understand the system that shapes our own education.
So I built Youth Civic Bridge to teach students how to understand funding models, analyze policy, and take real civic action for their communities. Not just raise money, but change the conversation.
William Yoon, Founder
OUR MISSION
Our Mission
Youth Civic Bridge equips young people, especially those from immigrant families, with the skills to understand civic systems, read public data, analyze policy, and act on what they learn.
OUR VISION
Our Vision
Empowering immigrant youth to become informed civic leaders who understand the systems that shape their lives, bridging the gap between their communities and civic institutions.
OUR TEAM
Our Team
YCB is built by students and passed on to students. Each year, new leaders step up to carry the mission forward.
William Yoon
Founder & Educational Equity Leader
Advocates for equal access to quality education for all students. Focused on closing achievement gaps and resource disparities.
Hyeonseo Ah
Transportation Access Leader
Pushes for the development of more efficient transportation infrastructure. Ensuring equitable public transit access for all communities.
Jed Kim
Arts Access & Equity Leader
Advocates for funding and diversity of the arts, and promoting diversity in education. Improving accessibility for disadvantaged and rural students.
IN ACTION
Our Work
Workshops, presentations, and community engagement.
OUR APPROACH
Why Data and Policy?
You can't change a system you don't understand. We teach students how civic systems work, so they can make them work better.
Understand the System First
We teach students how government funding, policy decisions, and civic processes actually work, so they can engage with evidence, not just opinions.
Bilingual Bridge-Building
Students translate complex civic information into their home languages, helping families navigate government systems and participate in democracy.
Evidence-Based Advocacy
From city budgets to policy documents, students learn to read, analyze, and present evidence to advocate for real community change.
Real-World Impact
Every workshop ends with a community action project. Students don't just learn. They do.