Maria León (she/her) is the Manager of Advocacy and Strategic Communications for the Youth Justice Initiatives team. Maria oversees the creation and organization of YJI’s Resource Hub, which will develop messaging and products to support the seeding and amplification of New Narratives about youth justice. Maria is involved in designing and implementing the YJI action research activities with sites and partners. She also coordinates with national partners and contributes to federal advocacy efforts, including legislation to secure funding for community alternatives to incarceration. Maria is from Los Angeles, California, and completed her Ph.D. in Youth Development at Texas A&M University, studying the application of Social Justice Youth Development within juvenile justice settings.
____