The Chinatown Urban Institute is a seven-week youth empowerment and professional development program offered by the Chinatown Community Development Center in San Francisco. The program is for young leaders ages 18-24 to understand and take action on urban planning issues, using the City as a living and breathing laboratory for knowledge. Through an inquiry-based approach, Urban Fellows will learn the history, technical skills, and pragmatic applications of the planning profession as a tool for social justice and advocacy. Biweekly sessions feature seminars, walking tours, and interactive fieldwork components to give the participants hands-on experience in grassroots community planning. Graduates of this program have gone on to positions in city government and Chinatown CDC’s youth, planning and housing development departments