With support from the California Arts Council, FREE THOUGHT REVOLUTION will deliver Afterschool Growth, a year-round arts education program serving up to 45 youth ages 12 to 25 from California Designated Severely Disadvantaged Communities in rural East San Diego County. Grant funds will support artist compensation for lead artists Bree Harris and rameses setekh and local teaching artists delivering free workshops in digital art, lyrical arts, music, video production, podcasting, upcycled art, and sculpture through after-school programs and Mamma’s Earth Seed Sanctuary. Funds will also support transportation for youth from Shelter Valley, art materials, accessibility accommodations, and facilitation of Phoenix Rising, a monthly LGBTQ+ arts and healing group. Programming prioritizes BIPOC, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse, and low-income youth who face significant geographic and economic barriers to arts access.
Free Thought Revolution has a strong track record of transforming underutilized and nontraditional spaces into vibrant, inclusive environments for arts and cultural engagement—particularly in communities with limited access to such opportunities. Building on our experience creating identity-affirming, youth-centered arts spaces, we now steward an eight-acre outdoor site that serves as a creative and healing hub for rural youth.
Through our Grown Lyfe Lessons and Roots & Remnants programs, we offer culturally responsive, arts-based learning experiences that integrate visual arts, design, movement, entrepreunership, and environmental art practices. Youth engage in hands-on workshops using natural and upcycled materials, developing both artistic skills and creative confidence while exploring identity, storytelling, and community connection.
Our programs prioritize access for youth from California Designated Severely Disadvantaged Communities (SDACs), including Shelter Valley and surrounding rural areas. We address barriers such as transportation, cost, and geographic isolation by providing free programming, transportation support, and, when needed, transitional housing opportunities.
In addition to arts education, we provide structured internships and leadership development opportunities focused on creative entrepreneurship, sustainable practices, and community-based project design. Youth gain real-world experience through mentorship, collaborative art projects, and public showcases, building pathways toward creative careers and long-term self-sufficiency.
By centering youth voice, representation, and culturally relevant instruction, Free Thought Revolution creates safe, empowering spaces where young people can develop artistic skills, strengthen social-emotional well-being, and imagine expanded futures rooted in creativity, leadership, and community impact.