Berkeley Junior Jackets was founded in 2017 and is a division of the YLM Foundation, a 100% all-volunteer-supported nonprofit 501(c)3 NorCal AYF sanctioned football and cheer program. Currently, we average 150 Black and Latino underserved youth through competitive football and cheerleading – the majority of whom attend school within Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD), making Jr. Jackets the largest organized gathering of Black students and parents across the district. All gatherings of the Jr Jackets community are used as an opportunity to 1) bring in a wide range of services and activities to meet the needs of the families and 2) listen to the families and help organize the desired changes they wish to see within BUSD and the wider community. The collective power of the Jr Jackets community has only begun to be realized; together we can leverage the changes that Berkeley needs to implement to bring peace to our streets, schools, homes, and families. Our programs are open to everyone regardless of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or ability to pay.