After years of tragic deaths and violent acts, the Richmond community continues to find ways of encouraging youth to stay off the streets, providing alternatives to eliminate the act of and desire for violence.
The Richmond Youth Student Empowerment (RYSE) Center became active in 2000 shortly after four high school students were killed in Richmond.
In reaction, the school held a candlelight vigil and a community forum to address and discuss the issue of violence and how to prevent it.
Gregory Ollano is a 22-year-old student at Contra Costa College who has been involved in Richmond community programs over the past few years. Ollano’s duties to the community began in 2006 at RHS, where he worked in a magazine-making club and a skate club at an after-school program.
He was then nominated to work at a local community center by his club boss.
Almost three years ago, he joined the RYSE Center as part of the Youth Council. In July 2008, he became RYSE Team Organizer.
In his time at the center, Ollano and his RYSE colleagues conducted surveys and collected data on how they could improve conditions in their community.
“We started a survey and came to the agreement we needed centers as a safe place for young people to be in order to keep them out (of) the streets,” Ollano said. “Who better to plan a youth center than youth?”
Young people get involved in the street life because of a lack of after-school programs, Ollano said.
Although the RYSE group became active in 2000, they were not able to obtain a central building until 2005, when County Supervisor John Gioia found a vacant county building at 205 41st St. and Bissell Avenue, just off MacDonald Avenue less than five miles from the college.
That year, 15 young people began the Youth Council, he said, and were henceforth known as the RYSE Center. They wanted to include more members of the community who were not necessarily students, however, so they removed the “student” portion of their name and became just RYE.
Members of the current council, he said, include representatives from organizations around Richmond, such as the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) at RHS, Richmond Youth Council and Ma’at Youth Academy, an organization committed to providing safe environments for youth.
The grand opening of the new RYSE Center took place Oct. 18. According to Ollano, an estimated 300 people attended, including Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin.
According to the RYSE Center Youth Council, programs began on Oct. 20. Other programs will be held for a short period of time, however, as they await equipment.
The center has a studio where dance and yoga classes are being held. Eventually, they are hoping to teach self-defense, Ollano said.
While the center is providing recreational activities for its members, one of their objectives is to bring more education to their programs, Ollano said.
“We’re trying to educate young folks,” he said. “If they’re educated, they can educate the community and start creating change.”
The RYSE Center provides a computer lab with multimedia equipment and math and English programs for students to take advantage of.
“This is what brings in youth and adult partnership,” Ollano said.
Out of the 12 top members at RYSE, two are members of the board of trustees.
Tiara McGee-Powell and Cristian Mejia, both 19, are co-chairpersons of the board of trustees and together help run a leadership program by submitting suggestions and ideas from other members.
“It’s great,” Mejia said. “I can say so many nice things about it, but the main thing is that once you come in, you get like a family feeling.”
McGee-Powell became involved at RYE while working at Kaiser Permanente.
“It’s been a good experience,” McGee-Powell said. “We help people’s lives and whatever problems they may have.”
Contact Diana Reyes at dreyes.advocate@gmail.com.
Youth inspires, leads
Local community voice aims to increase peace
Published: Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Updated: Wednesday, November 12, 2008
 "Photo: Erik Verduzco / The Advocate")
Erik Verduzco / The Advocate
A hard day’s work — As RYSE Team Organizer, Gregory Ollano helped work toward finally obtaining a central building to house a youth center, the newly opened RYSE Center.
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