K-TAY Youth Education & Development
Children Thriving On Their Own Terms
A transformative force in young lives, the Center’s K-TAY (kindergarten to transitional age youth) program provides comprehensive support for youth from Kindergarten through age 26, recognizing that true educational success comes from honoring the identity of every child.
PHOTO CREDIT: DON BOWDEN
Seen, Supported, Celebrated
As one of San Francisco's only Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School® site (as of 2025), we deliver culturally responsive education, STEAM programming, mental health services, and daily hot nutritious meals made by local, Black chefs. With a 1:10 student-teacher ratio and an approach that’s rooted in cultural identity and social-emotional learning alongside academic achievement, we create environments where young people develop as independent thinkers and problem solvers. We continue to deliver holistic support through year round, out-of-school time programs that offer career development and provide young people with the tools to be productive young adults.
An Educational Village
The results of our your-round, holistic programming are clear. Families stay with us for decades, we often enroll siblings, and the Center maintains multi-year waiting lists. Many youth who begin their journey with us in childhood continue with us into college and even return as staff for our summer and after-school programs. We have very little turnover in our programs.
PHOTO CREDIT: JEAN MELESAINE
PHOTO CREDIT: HALLE SOUSA
Partnership Spotlight
Chibi Chan Too
Our 50-year partnership with the Japanese Community Youth Council (JCYC) through the co-located Chibi Chan Too Preschool honors our WWII-era solidarity with Japanese American neighbors and ensures that children as young as 3 can begin their educational journey in a diverse, culturally affirming environment before transitioning into our K-8 programs.
Client Spotlight
De’Yani Dillard, Lift as we Climb Scholarship Recipient
In 2024, Booker T. provided Lift as we Climb scholarships to rising college students including San Francisco native De'Yani, a student at Dillard University, a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in New Orleans. She is studying psychology in hopes of pursuing a career as an expressive arts therapist, committing herself to breaking down the barriers that prevent marginalized communities from accessing quality, culturally-relevant mental health care. When she was just eight years old, De'Yani co-founded the Radical Monarchs, a social justice group for girls of color who focus on fighting for change in their community. Through the group, she made lifelong friendships, found her voice, and learned what it was like to make change for her generation and the next. Outside of academic studies, De'Yani holds leadership roles in Dillard’s environmental club, Bleu Green Krewe, and serves as a member of the campus Pride, and Afro-Futurism clubs.
Learn about Our Program
