The Grassroots Youth Collaborative (GYC) was formed in May 2004 to advocate for policies that empower young people to have a voice and contribute to their communities. GYC is a collective of culturally and racially diverse youth-led organizations that work in underserved, lower-income, at-risk communities where violence, especially youth violence, is regularly in the media spotlight. The programs delivered by GYC members reach out and engage young people who are typically missed by more mainstream youth programming.