ARTS FOR INCARCERATED YOUTH NETWORK
830 TRACTION AVE NO 3A, LOS ANGELES, CA 90013 aiynetwork.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: AIYN SEEKS TO PROVIDE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ARTS PROGRAMMING TO SYSTEM-INVOLVED YOUTH, JOINT TRAINING FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY PROBATION OFFICERS, AND ALSO SERVE AS A BODY TO COORDINATE POST-RELEASE SERVICES, WITH A GOAL OF INCREASING SUPPORT AND CONTINUUM OF CARE FOR YOUTH RETURNING FROM INCARCERATION.

AIYN IS AN INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTS PROGRAMMING COLLABORATIVE THAT PROVIDES EXCEPTIONAL ARTS EDUCATION TO INCARCERATED YOUTH IN ORDER TO BUILD RESILIENCY AND WELLNESS, ELIMINATE RECIDIVISM, AND TRANSFORM THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM.

MEMBERS PROGRAMMINGTHIS ENCOMPASSES ARTS PROGRAMMING PROVIDED BY OUR MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS IN JUVENILE DETENTION FACILITIES IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY. THIS MAINLY CONSISTS OF 12-WEEK CYCLES ROTATING AMONG THE DIFFERENT SECURE RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES, BOTH THE CAMPS (LONG-TERM) AND THE HALLS (SHORT-TERM). IT ALSO INCLUDES A ONE-TIME BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT, WHICH WAS FOCUSED ON PROVIDING STUDENT-CREATED MURALS AT THE SITES. MEMBERS PROGRAMMING REPRESENTS AIYN CORE WORK OF SUPPORTING THE CREATION OF ARTS TO HEAL YOUTH, WHERE OUR 15 MEMBER AGENCIES SERVE SYSTEM-IMPACTED YOUTH IN LOS ANGELES (LA) COUNTY, PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY ARTS EDUCATION THAT INCLUDES CREATIVE WRITING, SPOKEN WORD, VISUAL ARTS, THEATER, DIGITAL MEDIA, DANCE, AND MUSIC. OUR CORE WORK REMAINS PROVIDING YEAR-ROUND HEALING-INFORMED ARTS ENGAGEMENT TO YOUTH IN EVERY DETENTION FACILITY IN LA COUNTY, AND INCREASINGLY, BRINGING A HEALING-INFORMED ARTS ENGAGEMENT APPROACH TO SYSTEMS-IMPACTED YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS IN COMMUNITIES. THIS INCLUDES THE DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION AND PARKS, PROBATION-RUN SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY AND HOUSING SITES. WE ARE CURRENTLY PROVIDING YEAR-ROUND ARTS PROGRAMMING AT 25 DIFFERENT SITES, REACHING AN ESTIMATED 1,000 YOUTH/YEAR.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENTCURRENTLY, OUR PROGRAM CONSISTS OF THREE CORE ELEMENTS FOR WHICH WE SEEK FUNDING: PRE-RELEASE CONNECTION, OUR TRUE COLORS, AND YOUTH FELLOWSHIPS.PRE-RELEASE CONNECTION: OUR ARTS FACILITATOR AT THE KILPATRICK FACILITY OVERSEES THIS ELEMENT OF OUR WORK. THIS STAFF MEMBER CONNECTS YOUTH WHO HAVE PENDING RELEASE DATES TO OUR PROGRAM THROUGH A WARM REFERRAL HAND-OFF. HE PARTICIPATES ALONGSIDE PROBATION WITH TRANSITION PLANNING, EMPHASIZING ARTS ENGAGEMENT AND ACCESS AS A CAREER PATHWAY, AND ALSO AS A SPACE TO KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE PRODUCTIVELY ENGAGED IN CREATIVE PROJECTS, AND USING ARTS AS A WAY TO LIFT THEIR VOICES FOR ADVOCACY. OUR TRUE COLORS: THE OUR TRUE COLORS SPACE, EXCLUSIVELY FOR JUSTICE-IMPACTED YOUNG PEOPLE, IS AN ARTS-CENTERED HEALING SPACE. IT INCLUDES LIFE SKILLS CLASSES (SUCH AS FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND PERSONAL BUDGETING), FIELD TRIPS - TO PERFORMANCES, CULTURAL EVENTS, AND OUR MEMBERS EVENTS AND SPACES - AND ART-MAKING. OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE A SAFE, LOW-RISK, ENGAGING PEER SPACE AS A "LANDING PAD" FOR YOUTH RETURNING TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. OUR TRUE COLORS HAS A SHARED, YOUTH-DEFINED RUBRIC FOR MEETING PERSONAL GOALS OF PARTICIPATION, COMMUNICATION, AND COMMUNITY. YOUTH FELLOWSHIPS: ONCE GOALS DEVELOPED IN OUR TRUE COLORS ARE CONSISTENTLY MET, YOUTH ARE READY TO BE PLACED IN A FELLOWSHIP - A PAID INTERNSHIP WITH ONE OF OUR MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS. IN THESE FELLOWSHIPS, THE YOUTH AND HOST ORGANIZATION COLLABORATIVELY DEFINE THE SCOPE OF WORK, EXPECTATIONS, AND TIMELINE/SCHEDULE FOR THE FELLOWSHIP.

MEMBERS CAPACITY BUILDINGIN ADDITION TO THE DIRECT SERVICE AND SYSTEMIC CHANGE WORK WE DO, AIYN ALSO INVESTS IN THE CAPACITY OF MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS, PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO CURRENT AIYN MEMBERS AND CREATING A TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TOOLKIT USED TO TRAIN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN REGIONS WITH YOUTH IN DETENTION. THESE TOOLS INCLUDE A MEMBERS-CREATED SHARED THEORY OF PRACTICE THAT IS DEFINING AND ADVANCING BEST PRACTICES IN THE FIELD, YOUTH-LED POLICY PRIORITIES (AND A SYSTEM OF COLLECTION AND DOCUMENTATION FOR OTHER REGIONS) AND AN EMERGING TOOLKIT ON RESILIENT COLLABORATIVES (IE WHAT MAKES OUR MODEL WORK). ADDITIONALLY, AIYN PROVIDES TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR LEARNING FOR OUR MEMBERS IN THE AREAS OF POLICY AND ADVOCACY, LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER ON ARTISTIC BEST PRACTICES, GRANTWRITING AND FUNDRAISING, COMMUNICATIONS, S WELL AS OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEMBERS TO TAKE GREATER LEADERSHIP IN NETWORK-WIDE TRAININGS, SO FOSTER THE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR OWN STAFF.

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