The Young People's Project was founded 10 years ago by alums of the Algebra Project. The YPP recruits, trains, and deploys high school and college Math Literacy Workers for mentoring middle and elementary school students. Math Literacy Workers come from the communities the Algebra Project seeks to serve, namely low-income urban and rural areas.

The Young People's Project believes that young people can and must demonstrate to younger students, and to their families and community members, that studying algebra and more advanced mathematics topics is important, fun, and "cool." In Boston, Jackson, and Chicago, YPP proved that it has the capacity to develop effective Mathematics Literacy Workers and workshops that can be implemented to serve local after-school programs and community-based organizations.

Over the next five years, the project hopes to develop about 700 college and high school Math Literacy Workers, 10 trainers and 20 assistant trainers, who will provide ongoing after school workshops for about 4000 younger students. They will also provide community events for their families and community members, and facilitate team organizing for ongoing math competitions.

Workshop materials will be experientially-based mathematics modules similar to those used in the Algebra Project and will include activities developed for younger students by the Young People's Project.