United Parents and Students (UPAS) is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization seeking to empower low-income communities to become powerful self-advocates for sustainable neighborhood revitalization. UPAS partners with local public schools and community-based organizations to create training centers that teach families the formal skills of community organizing and authentic civic engagement. Rather than engaging in short-term advocacy efforts, UPAS aims to build permanent, self-sustaining coalitions of informed and mobilized community members. UPAS chapters are located in Los Angeles, CA, Memphis, TN, and South King County, WA.