Youth Speaks Announces The Brave New Voices Network Initiative
byFarez
0
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 1, 2014
/-- Youth Speaks, the renowned arts education
program widely recognized as the nation's leading spoken word program
for youth, is pleased to announce the launch of The Brave New Voices (BNV) Network Initiative. This seven-year initiative includes $10 million ofgrants directly to other nonprofits that work with teenagers in writing and performance.
Founded in 1996 in San Francisco,
Youth Speaks has long championed a national movement of young people
boldly declaring themselves present through poetry and spoken word. In
addition to offering a comprehensive series of arts education programs
to over 35,000 youth locally, Youth Speaks produced the first youth
poetry slam in the nation in 1997, and launched the Brave New Voices
Festival in 1998 (featured for two seasons on HBO).
The BNV Network Initiative is dedicated to building a
sustainable field of organizations that intersect arts education and
youth development practices with a deep focus on long-term civic
engagement and public presentation. Currently, over 75 programs across the United States make up Youth Speaks' BNV Network.
"Ensuring young people are heard and mentored by well-equipped adults
and organizations is essential. Small organizations can be highly
effective, yet stretched thin and lacking meaningful resources," notes James Kass,
founder of Youth Speaks. "This project aims to change this dynamic. By
working as an intermediary, we can provide resources to the people on
the ground, working with teenagers every day. Ultimately, stronger
organizations mean more opportunities for young people to find and
present the power of their voices," stated Kass.
The BNV Network initiative was launched by two
anonymous Bay Area-based supporters, who have been joined by the Ford
and Surdna Foundations, both long-time Youth Speaks champions. Roberta Uno
of the Ford Foundation says of the initiative: "Ford is proud to
support this work; because this model leads with exemplary art as it
charts a fresh direction for the future of the arts and youth sector.
Our pursuit of social justice depends on all people having a voice in
the decisions that impact them, and the BNV Network Initiative
strengthens and lifts up these important voices."
Grants to Other Nonprofits Over the next 6 years, Youth Speaks will provide direct grants to 25 organizations nationwide. Grants range from $175,000 to $550,000
over 3 years, and include general operating support, technical
assistance, and staffing support. In addition, Youth Speaks will host an
annual conference to work with up to 100 grassroots organizations to
develop their capacity. The Initiative also includes an annual pool of $200,000 "programmatic grants" available for all BNV Network Member organizations.
In order to help launch the Initiative, Kass hired Ninive Calegari,
co-founder of 826 Valencia, an award-winning youth program, which has
been duplicated both nationally and internationally.
Applications to The BNV Network initiative are available now at www.youthspeaks.org and remain open until Oct 1, 2014.