Youth Speaks
A Story of Support
Founded in 1996 in San Francisco, Youth Speaks creates vibrant and healthy spaces that challenge young people to find, develop, publicly present and apply their voices as creators of societal change.
Youth Speaks is known for producing electrifying spoken word poetry slams and performances. Annually, they host multiple programs, including Under 21 Open Mic Nights, an event that brings the noise for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the MC Olympics, Queeriosity, the Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam, and the Brave New Voices Festival, which was featured on HBO.
At the heart of their work is the Arts-in-Education program, where Youth Speaks Poet Mentors bring creative writing and performance poetry workshops to public high schools and community-based settings. Through these yearlong programs, Youth Speaks sparks a passion for learning and nurtures the life skills needed for young people to become productive and healthy adults.
The Ford Foundation named Youth Speaks one of the 10 most important arts organizations in the nation’s future, and the Wallace Foundation named it one of eight exemplary arts education organizations in the nation.
In its 20-year history, Youth Speaks has witnessed hundreds of thousands of young people picking up pens, filling blank pages and taking center stage to tell the stories of their lives. Join GoPro in raising $100,000 to help activate the voices of thousands more young people through poetry.
Want to get involved? Visit youthspeaks.org
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