SoCal Community Empowerment
Project Redirect (2025)
Southern California Community Empowerment Corporation (SCCEC) exists to create real pathways to economic stability, healing, and opportunity for communities most impacted by systemic inequities. Rooted in lived experience and community trust, SCCEC designs programs that meet people where they are—and walks alongside them as they reimagine what’s possible.
In 2025, SCCEC launched Project Redirect, a bold, trauma-informed workforce and entrepreneurship initiative focused on youth and young adults in and around South Los Angeles who have been directly impacted by community violence, instability, and limited access to opportunity.
What Is Project Redirect?
Project Redirect is a four-week, cohort-based initiative designed for youth and young adults impacted by gun violence and other forms of community trauma. The program centers on mental wellness, economic empowerment, and exposure to real-world opportunities, supporting participants as they shift from survival mode to future planning.
The program served over 25 participants from South Los Angeles and combined group learning, one-on-one coaching, and practical tools to help participants identify and commit to meaningful next steps in their personal and professional lives.
Why This Program Exists
Project Redirect was created in response to urgent gaps facing young people in historically under-resourced communities, including:
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Limited access to workforce preparation and economic pathways
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The absence of trauma-informed spaces that acknowledge lived experience
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A need for facilitators and mentors who reflect participants’ realities
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Barriers to technology, confidence, and career exposure
Rather than focusing solely on employment outcomes, Project Redirect intentionally addressed the whole person—supporting healing, self-efficacy, and long-term vision alongside practical skill-building.
Why Project Redirect Matters
Project Redirect matters because it meets young people where they are—and helps them move forward with purpose.
Designed for youth and young adults impacted by community violence and trauma, the program combines wellness, workforce readiness, and entrepreneurship to help participants reimagine what’s possible for their lives. More than training, Project Redirect creates a safe, affirming space where healing and economic opportunity go hand in hand.
The impact was real and measurable:
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25+ youth and young adults participated and received stipends, coaching, and hands-on support
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9 participants developed clear outlines for launching a business or community program
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Several participants completed updated resumes and left prepared to enter the workforce
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Two participants sought sobriety support to fully pursue employment and entrepreneurship opportunities
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A new partnership with the NEXA workforce platform provides participants with up to one year of continued career support
Perhaps most powerfully, participants gained confidence. One young woman, new to using a laptop, completed social-enterprise research and idea development using AI—proof that access and encouragement can unlock untapped potential.
Project Redirect demonstrates that economic empowerment is holistic—when young people are supported emotionally, practically, and relationally, the impact extends beyond individuals to families and the wider community.