About Dynasty’s United Youth Association
DUYA’s Founder and President is a local African American Social Worker and USC graduate Dynasty Taylor, who grew up in the harsh realities of a South Los Angeles neighborhood called “The Jungles.” Her dysfunctional childhood and the inherent academic inadequacies in the public school system motivated her to found DUYA in 2014 by partnering with the Los Angeles Public Library. DUYA shares the same mission with the Los Angeles Public Library, empowering citizens with personal, educational, and professional growth.
Over the past eight years, DUYA has helped over 2,000 students become successful, self-sufficient, and socially responsible citizens. Each of the programs directly targets the barriers that prevent students from continuing to grow and learn. The organization, which started with in-person tutoring and homework help, has since grown to include other life-supporting programs such as career readiness and mental health counseling. Pre-COVID, DUYA was located at five public libraries in Los Angeles throughout the school year and one recreation center for Summer Camp programming.
In March of 2020, DUYA converted its entire curriculum and programming to a virtual platform within one week to continue delivering its services. To successfully fund and execute a virtual program, DUYA launched its Virtual Learning Program with former Council member Herb Wesson from District 10 and the Los Angeles Public Library to prevent students from falling behind grade level. The Los Angeles Public Library and Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper published a press release to increased DUYA’s accessibility to reach a broader range of students throughout Los Angeles County.
Due to the unforeseen challenges from the pandemic, DUYA’s board of directors have made significant changes to its program model, realigned strategic plans to fit current priorities, and established partnerships that are mission aligned. Alongside the new pivotal changes, DUYA opened its first brick-and-mortar location in the heart of Inglewood in July 2021. As a result, the organization is fully operating in a hybrid model, allowing our team to meet families where they are, provide accessibility, and be flexible with program options.
