How Seattle Got Its (Arts) Groove Back

The Book Truck is a nonprofit that addresses the issue of "book deserts" in Los Angeles by providing free books and literacy programming to over 10,000 teenagers across the city. The truck was established in 2012 and has since handed out over 17,000 books. Participants in the program attest to how the program has changed their life because reading is now a tool to learn more about themselves and the world, to develop leadership skills, and to even make new friends.

Global Play Day for schools is exactly what it sounds like: a full day of supervised but unstructured play. Teachers and scientists say that this kind of play encourages creativity and helps build social skills that kids need like problem-solving and flexibility. Students at Wiggins Street Elementary School play in all classes, including gym and music.

Program H is a group educational methodology that works with young men through participatory workshops, role-playing, and debates to reflect on toxic masculinities and promote more equitable attitudes toward gender. It has been implemented in more than 30 countries since 2002, successfully facilitated by males who act as gender equity role models. This story is available in Spanish here: https://solu.news/24kd

The National Museum of Mexican Art’s Yollocalli Arts Reach provides space for young people to collaborate with each other, work with mentors, and gain exposure to different art forms and creative skills. Yollocalli serves Chicago’s youth in predominately Latino neighborhoods and focused on free art programming, mentorship, and career support. The programming emphasizes creativity as a tool for youth to learn to express their needs, share their ideas, and influence their environment. Nearly 3,000 teenagers and young adults have participated in Yollocalli’s programs with forty lead artists.

Learning pods are helping students in Cleveland access a safe and supportive space to complete their virtual school lessons during the coronavirus pandemic. Although space is limited at the centers and they can't replace the social benefits of in-person schooling, the students who have attended are able to catch up on the assignments they had difficulty completing at home.

Since 2007, SIMBA and ASET have connected over 1,000 homeless students living in New York City with academic resources. All students in the 2018 class graduated from high school with multiple college acceptances.

Participation in art and music improves cognitive development and fosters social skills in young children. In Bogotá, Columbia, a program developed by Nidos: Art in Early Childhood provides tens of thousands of children access to creative art workshops. The organization employs artists, musicians, and other creative professionals, working in partnership with government departments to identify and serve the poorest populations in the city.

After decades of government repression and censorship, Myanmar’s civilian government has allowed for freer creative expression. The Hong Kong based Asia Art Archive is helping to develop the infrastructure of an arts community through workshops, meetings, and their “Mobile Library” of art books.

Minnesota schools began a comprehensive program aimed at assisting children of minority groups to successfully navigate the college application process and push them towards higher education.

California nonprofits are stepping up to provide young people with arts education opportunities in light of the lack of arts funding and programming at schools. In Seaside, the multicultural organization Palenke Arts offers classes in a variety of dance, visual arts, and a Spanish book club that are accessible to many ages.