Eastern Coachella Valley
The Eastern Coachella Valley (ECV) is a rural, unincorporated area in Southern California with a thriving community, which includes indigenous folks, Purepecha community, immigrant communities, and the queer community.
Youth in the ECV are aware of the issues going on in their community and they continue to advocate for their community through storytelling.
Coachella Unincorporated and ¡Que Madre! Media are two youth programs based in the ECV. Coachella Uninc. started in 2011 and was the first youth media program based in the ECV. ¡Que Madre! Media launched in 2018.
Both programs support young people to identify the root causes of systemic issues in their communities and to uplift their own stories to bring about positive change.
Current Programs
Timeline of Wins in Eastern Coachella Valley
¡Que Madre! publishes My Community, Mental Health & Me
We’re proud to present the Spring 2020 digital magazine from ¡Que Madre! Media. In this issue, you’ll find incredible youth art, narratives and a mental health resource guide.
Youth publishes article on the Salton Sea in The Desert Sun
Olivia Rodriguez publishes an article on Salton Sea communities, which needed relief long before coronavirus hit, in The Desert Sun.
ECV youth participate in Grassroots Womxn Rising Committee
The Grassroots Womxn Rising convening hosted hundreds of resilient womxn of color – including yli youth! – involved with the California Endowment’s health equity campaign, “Building Healthy Communities” (BHC).
Estamos Aquí wins ‘Best Documentary’ at the Official Latino Film & Arts Festival
A team of Coachella Uninc. reporters, led by Bryan Mendez and Olivia Rodriguez, produced a mini documentary that explores key issues related to the Salton Sea and that uplifts the stories of local ECV residents.
Estamos Aquí wins Youth Leadership in Air Quality Award
Estamos Aquí: A Community Documentary, receives the Youth Leadership in Air Quality Award from the South Coast AQMD Clean Air Awards.
ECV Youth Media Partners with KQED’s The California Report
Coachella Unincorporated and ¡Que Madre! Media programs partnered with KQED’s The California Report to create, edit and co-host a show uplifting stories from the Eastern Coachella valley related to mental health, community, education and youth power.
¡Que Madre! Media Launches Mental Health Publication
¡Que Madre! Media Hosts First Ever Mental Health Resource Fair
¡Que Madre! Media Supports Semana de La Mujer
¡Que Madre! Media co-hosts Semana de la Mujer at Desert Mirage Highschool in Thermal, CA. The week-long event featured resources and workshops for young women on campus.
Coachella Uninc. Presents at Rural Justice Summit
Coachella Uninc. youth filmmakers present Estamos Aquí: A Community Documentary at the California Institute for Rural Studies’ Rural Justice Summit in Merced, CA.
YLI Eastern Coachella Opens New Office In Coachella
YLI Eastern Coachella Valley opens new office in Coachella, CA. This office houses both Coachella Unincorporated and ¡Que Madre! Media.
Coachella Uninc. Premieres Estamos Aquí: A Community Documentary
A team of Coachella Unincorporated youth filmmakers premiered Estamos Aquí: A Community Documentary in Coachella, CA.
Youth Leadership Institute Acquires YouthWire
YLI welcomed YouthWire, a cutting edge statewide youth media program, into the organization on October 1, 2018.