Izcalli delivers its mission through four interconnected arts-centered
programs rooted in Indigenous creative practice and cultural expression.

Restorative Theater for Youth brings theater-based healing to young people at
school sites and community centers across San Diego County. Drawing on
Indigenous storytelling traditions and the philosophy of La Cultura Cura,
youth use dramatic performance, creative writing, and ceremonial arts to
process intergenerational trauma, explore cultural identity, and develop voice
and confidence. Theater becomes both a healing practice and an act of
resistance — a way for young people to reclaim their narratives and build
community belonging. The program prioritizes access for the most historically
marginalized youth in the region.

Teatro Izcalli is the organization’s professional Chicano theater troupe and
one of Izcalli’s founding expressions. Teatro Izcalli creates and performs
original works that examine social justice issues, celebrate Indigenous
heritage, and challenge dehumanizing narratives with humor and artistic rigor.
Productions have engaged diverse audiences across San Diego and modeled for
youth what it looks like to be a working artist rooted in cultural purpose.

Indigenous Restorative Circles integrate spoken word, song, ceremony, and
creative expression as core tools within weekly talking circles facilitated by
trained mentors at 18 school sites and 6 community centers. Since 1998, over
2,500 individuals have participated in this program, which follows a 33-module
curriculum grounded in the Seven Rs framework. A 2020 doctoral study
confirmed 94% of participants experienced personal transformation, with an
average member tenure of 16.7 years.

Tlahtolli Trainings — named for the Nahuatl concept of The Word, representing
honor, truth, and commitment — transmit Indigenous arts-based pedagogies to
educators, nonprofit professionals, and community members, extending Izcalli’s
reach and building the capacity of others to use culturally grounded creative
practice with youth and families.