Social Movements and Governing Power

From 2008 to 2019, the USC Equity Research Institute (ERI) published reports under our previous name, the USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE). 

July 2014

By Veronica Terriquez, Ph.D, and Gabriela Dominguez

The California Endowment (TCE) has invested in youth leadership and youth-led organizing as a key component of the Building Healthy Communities (BHC) Initiative.

This report is part of a broader assessment of BHC youth programming and focuses on survey results collected from young people across 13 target communities. The youth surveyed represent 68 BHC-affiliated organizations that engage their members through leadership development, grassroots organizing, restorative justice, arts and media production, and health-related activities.

Overall, the research findings show that investments in youth leadership and youth organizing result in positive impacts on the personal development and leadership capacity of youth living in low income communities.

Download report

BHC: Summary of Key Findings from the 2013-2014 Youth Program Participant Survey

Read our other publications by research area

    Immigrant Integration & Racial Justice

    Our work on immigrant integration and racial justice brings together three emphases: scholarship that draws on academic theory and rigorous research, data that provides information structured to highlight the process of immigrant integration over time, and engagement that seeks to create new dialogues with government, community organizers, business and civic leaders, immigrants and the voting public to advance immigrant integration and racial equity.

    Economic Inclusion & Climate Equity

    In the area of economic inclusion, we at ERI advance academic theory and practical applications linking economic growth, environmental quality, and civic health with bridging of racial and other gaps; produce accessible and actionable data and analysis through the data tools; and establish research partnerships to deepen and advance the dialogue, planning, and actions around racial equity, environmental justice, and the built environment.

    Social Movements & Governing Power

    ERI’s work in the area of governing power includes: conducting cross-disciplinary studies of today’s social movements, supporting learning and strategizing efforts to advance dialogues among organizers, funders, intermediaries, evaluators, and academics, and developing research-based social change frameworks and tools to inform—and be informed by—real-world, real-time efforts towards a vision of deep change.

    Publications Directory

    In 2020, the USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE) and the USC Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration (CSII) merged to form the USC Equity Research Institute (ERI).

    The full list of publications published under our previous and current names can be found in our publications directory.

    a view of the Los Angeles skyline