“Cycle Sync L.A.” - A Menstrual Health Education Initiative for Teens

Support for foster and systems-impacted youth

South LA South Bay City of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a citywide benefit)

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Menstrual and reproductive health are still treated as taboo in many communities of color, especially for youth navigating puberty without guidance, safety, or culturally relevant care. In South Los Angeles, systems-impacted teens including foster youth, LGBTQ+ youth, and girls of color often lack access to menstrual education, body literacy, or emotional regulation tools. This leads to shame, confusion, school absences, and long-term disconnection from self. Traditional health education fails to address these gaps, especially from a trauma-informed or healing-centered perspective. We believe that body awareness is a human right and that when youth understand their cycles, they reclaim their power.

Cycle Sync LA is a healing-centered menstrual literacy and womb wellness program for teens ages 13 to 18 in South Los Angeles. Through community workshops, creative expression, and culturally rooted education, this initiative helps youth reconnect with their bodies, reduce shame, and build emotional awareness. Participants receive custom wellness kits with journals, herbal pads, and steam herbs while engaging in storytelling, group sessions, and a culminating Red Tent gathering. Facilitators include doulas, educators, and community healers trained to support systems-impacted youth with compassion and care. This pilot program will serve 100 youth, distribute 100 wellness kits, train 3 community educators, and publish a youth-created zine. With LA2050 support, Cycle Sync LA will address the educational, emotional, and health access gaps in menstrual wellness for vulnerable teens in Los Angeles.

If Cycle Sync LA is successful, young people across Los Angeles will grow up understanding their bodies, cycles, and emotions with confidence rather than shame. Teens will be better equipped to manage stress, advocate for their health, and participate in their communities with a sense of agency. A new generation of doulas, womb wellness educators, and creative peer leaders will emerge, especially from neighborhoods that have been historically excluded from reproductive health resources. Our long-term vision is to expand into schools, foster youth programs, and community hubs across the county by 2026. With scaling, Cycle Sync LA will help shape a Los Angeles where healing, health education, and cultural connection are accessible to all youth, especially those impacted by systems of harm.