COMMUNITY WORKS initiated its Youth Arts Education program in 1997, offering arts programming in a variety of disciplines to youth impacted by incarceration in the San Francisco Bay Area . Youth Arts programming includes both community and school based activities, as well as at San Francisco's Youth Guidance Center and the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center. Community Works’ youth programs provide children and youth impacted by incarceration with critical tools to challenge and interrupt the cycle of incarceration and violence. CW’s programs incorporate creative expression and skill building in the arts, critical reflection on issues children and youth face, one on one support, and life skills development, fostering an increased self-esteem, empathy, and community. Participants develop a sense of self-empowerment and personal voice, as well as confidence to articulate their experiences.

If your school or classroom is interested in developing a Youth Arts curriculum, please contact Ruth Morgan at rpine@pacbell.net or community_works@yahoo.com