Community Works West

Located in Oakland, Community Works West (CW) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to using the arts and education as a catalyst for change with underserved populations in the San Francisco Bay Area. Community Works uses the arts to forge links between diverse cultures and communities, to improve educational attainment, to increase self-empowerment and social responsibility, and to foster community development. CW collaborates with artists from diverse backgrounds, races, and disciplines to achieve these goals. CW primarily serves incarcerated populations and at-risk youth, offering arts programming at San Francisco County Jails and post-release facilities, as well as schools, after school programs, and juvenile detention sites. Many CW programs culminate in public art exhibits or performances.