The United Teen Equality Center (UTEC), founded in 1999, was the result of an organizing movement driven by young people to develop their own teen center in response to gang violence. UTEC’s nationally recognized model begins with intensive street outreach and gang peacemaking, reaching out to the most disconnected youth by meeting them “where they’re at” and facilitating a peace process between rival gang leaders. Each young person in our target population (16-23; dropped out of school; and homeless, gang-involved and/or criminally involved) receives at least three years of intensive case management. UTEC engages youth in workforce development programming blending transitional employment with social enterprises in food services, multimedia, and maintenance/cleaning. We provide educational options through GED preparation and an alternative diploma program. Values of social justice and civic engagement are embedded in all programming, with special emphasis on our organizing and policymaking work both locally and statewide. Ultimately, UTEC’s unique model can provide a pathway from the street to the State House for older youth most often overlooked and considered disengaged. <!--?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /--><o:p></o:p>