Youth Speaks

Youth Speaks understands & believes that the power, insight, creativity, & passion of young people can change the world, Youth Speaks has long been recognized for innovative arts education & youth development practices. Founded in San Francisco in 1996, Youth Speaks launched comprehensive programs for teens in & out of school, producing the first youth poetry slam in the nation in 1997, before launching national programs like the Brave New Voices Festival in 1998. Youth Speaks sustains an integrated series of programs, performances, and convenings that engage tens of thousands of youth locally, and hundreds of thousands nationally and globally. We continue to provide responsive and accessible programming during Covid-19 through online workshops, residencies, open mics, special events, campaigns, and publications.