Stelle Andrade, Community/Youth Organizer, Institute for Public Strategies

Youth are taking ownership to beautify the Broadway corridor in the City of Chula Vista. Participants from South Bay Youth 4 Change, a youth group formed by the Institute for Public Strategies, teamed up with the City of Chula Vista Public Works Department and their "Buff-A-Block" program, to assist with much needed removal of graffiti and trash clean up along Broadway.

Thirty-five students and community members got together on a Saturday morning in October 12, 2019 to clean the span of the Broadway corridor from D street on the north end to Oxford street on the south end. Teams consisted of one adult and several students from schools in the Sweetwater Union High School District including Chula Vista High School, Bonita Vista High School and Montgomery High School.

Through a relationship developed between South Bay Youth 4 Change and the Public Works Department, all supplies were donated by the City, and the youth group provided the people power. Students were able to remove graffiti with specialized clean-up wipes, paint over vandalized city property and pick up trash and other items along the sidewalks.

Watch the video below to see before and after pictures from the beautification event.

Many volunteers recall strangers and business owners approaching them and thanking them for their efforts in beautifying Broadway. “We like making a difference in our community,” shared one South Bay Youth 4 Change student. 

“It feels good to be able to see the change happening and be a part of it. The ability to clean up Broadway was a delightful experience that helped bring the community together to help improve our city.”

The Institute for Public Strategies and South Bay Youth 4 Change want to bring attention to the Broadway corridor to make sure that business owners, residents and local leaders work together to tap into the potential that this area has to be the gateway to the upcoming Chula Vista Bayfront Project.

"There's a lot of work that can be done and we want to make a lot of positive change in our community, not just for the businesses itself, but also for the youth that frequent Broadway, and also for the consumers that come here as well," shared Stelle Andrade, Community/Youth Organizer with the Institute for Public Strategies.