For 29 years, Youth Speaks has created safe spaces that challenge young people, especially Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Pacific Islander, and those from working-class communities, to find, develop and apply their voices as creators of societal change.

Founded in 1996 in San Francisco, Youth Speaks is a leading presenter of Spoken Word performance, education, and creative youth development programs.

Our work lives at the intersection of Arts Education, Public Presentation, Youth-led Cultural Organizing, and Youth Narrative strategy. Trailblazers of local and national youth poetry slams, festivals, and more, Youth Speaks offers a comprehensive slate of arts education programs and provides numerous opportunities for youth to be heard by their peers and by the broader community and to leverage their voices to make an impact on the issues they care about.

As we respond to the challenges and opportunities of this next era, Youth Speaks is committed to activating youth stories to build narrative and cultural power ultimately helping to create a world in which young people are heard, honored, and connected through creative ecosystems of interdependence and care.