The Center for Urban Excellence, in collaboration with the Museum of Children’s Art will reignite the Art is Resilience program for students at Golden Gate Community Schools in Brentwood, Pittsburg, and Richmond. Professional Teaching Artists, wellness practitioners, and Juvenile Justice professionals help to create a space where youth are free to channel their strength, resilience, and hope through art. We empower young artists to lead, create, and articulate their vision for the future, strengthening their voices and promoting positivity. Through these vibrant artistic expressions, we illuminate the inherent power of our youth, sparking an enduring beacon of resilience in their communities.
At the Center for Urban Excellence (CUE), our core programs and services are organized around five connected pillars that empower system-impacted youth, young adults, and families through healing, leadership, and opportunity.
Healing Arts Education: We provide creative outlets and artistic skill-building through poetry, spoken word, emcee and movement classes, and visual/mixed-media workshops, including opportunities for performances and exhibitions. Program: Art is Resilience (poetry and visual arts) in partnership with three Golden Gate Community Schools and Contra Costa County Office of Education.
Fostering Resilience Framework and Training: We equip youth with practical resilience tools through mindfulness, arts-based activities, stress management techniques, and problem-solving strategies that support emotional regulation and healthy coping.
Youth Leadership Development: Through our Fostering Resilience: Youth Leadership Program, youth build leadership skills through mentorship, community service projects, and training that supports them as agents of change.
College and Career Readiness: In partnership with the California & Solano County Workforce Development Board, we prepare youth and young adults for college and employment through post secondary exploration, college application and financial aid support, career counseling, and job readiness training.
Critical Media Literacy Workshops: We strengthen young people’s ability to navigate today’s media landscape by teaching them to critically analyze media and make informed decisions using The Media and Me: A Critical Media Literacy Guide for Young People, which our CEO Reina Robinson co-authored.