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 use data and AI 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 AI and data literacy skills to access, understand, and act on civic information.
OUR VISION
Our Vision
Empowering immigrant youth to become informed civic leaders through AI and data literacy, bridging the gap between their communities and the civic systems that shape their lives.
OUR STORY
Our Story
The Problem
Immigrant youth live between two worlds. Their parents face language barriers navigating policy documents and government systems. Schools rarely teach civic engagement. In the age of AI, information overflows, but nobody teaches how to turn it into civic action.
Our Solution
Youth Civic Bridge arms young people with AI and data literacy as tools for civic understanding. We train students to read policy data, navigate government processes, and analyze community issues, then act on what they learn.
Our Identity
We build bilingual civic bridge-builders: young leaders who connect two languages, two cultures, and bridge the gap between their communities and civic systems.
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.
WHY AI + CIVIC
Why AI + Civic Education?
AI is transforming how we access information. We make sure immigrant communities aren't left behind.
AI as a Tool, Not an Answer
We teach critical thinking alongside AI skills. Students learn to fact-check, analyze bias, and use AI responsibly to access civic data.
Bilingual Bridge-Building
Students translate complex civic information into their home languages, helping families navigate government systems and participate in democracy.
Data-Driven Advocacy
From city budgets to policy documents, students learn to read, analyze, and present data to advocate for real community change.
Real-World Impact
Every workshop ends with a community action project. Students don't just learn. They do.