With support from the California Arts Council, ARTSCCC (Arts Contra Costa County) will secure a “Poetry Series Program” to serve one of Contra Costa County’s most vulnerable populations, youth at John A. Davis Juvenile Hall in Martinez. A community-based artist team leads monthly spoken-word workshops to build youth confidence for educational and professional opportunities by strengthening reading, writing, and artistic skills. Youth participate in team building initiatives using creative expression tools of spoken-word, storytelling, and writing.

There are three units at Juvenile Hall and the “Poetry Series Program” currently works with Trinity Unit male youth. The largest population of Juvenile Hall youth come East, then West, and Central Contra Costa County. ARTSCCC seeks funding to support the Trinity Unit program and provide new services to the Coed Unit to include female youth for equitable access.