Script to Stage: Empowering LA Youth Through Storytelling

K-12 STEAM education

East LA South LA County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

In Los Angeles County, students in historically underfunded communities face deep inequities in both academic and afterschool support. These challenges are most acute in Title I schools across East and South LA, where arts education is often the first to be cut. This lack of creative opportunity is compounded by the broader effects of economic hardship, systemic racism, and educational disinvestment. Students are left without outlets for self-expression, connection, or the kind of mentorship that supports social-emotional growth. At the same time, afterschool hours pose real risks. Many families can’t afford extended care, and few programs exist that are both accessible and culturally relevant. Without safe, enriching spaces, youth face increased risks of disengagement and isolation. The need for both opportunity and belonging is urgent.

Script to Stage: Afterschool Edition is an innovative expansion of Young Storytellers’ flagship storytelling program, designed to increase access to arts education for students in historically under-resourced communities. Traditionally delivered by Young Storytellers staff and volunteers, in school, this new model trains youth development professionals such as those at local Boys & Girls Clubs to deliver the curriculum themselves in an afterschool setting. These staff members already bring expertise in trauma-informed care, social-emotional learning, and culturally responsive practices. With training, mentorship, and ongoing support from Young Storytellers, they will guide students through a 10-week journey that culminates in a live performance of each student’s original script by professional actors.

This shift in delivery deepens sustainability, reduces barriers to access, and allows organizations to embed storytelling into their existing programming. Students will gain confidence, improve literacy, and build emotional resilience as they develop and share their stories.

The program not only amplifies youth voice, it strengthens local infrastructure by equipping community-based organizations with the tools to foster creativity and self-expression long after the grant period ends. Through this model, we are creating a replicable, scalable framework for community-led storytelling that elevates young voices and transforms afterschool education in Los Angeles.

If our work is successful, more students in East and South Los Angeles will have access to safe, enriching afterschool spaces where they are seen, supported, and celebrated. Script to Stage will meet students during the hours when they are most vulnerable to isolation or risky behavior, transforming that time into one of creativity, mentorship, and connection. As a result, students will feel more confident in their identities, better equipped to express themselves, and more engaged in their communities. Over time, our community-led delivery model will enable a growing network of partner sites to sustain and expand storytelling programming without relying on outside staffing. This will create long-term educational infrastructure. By embedding the arts where they are needed most, we are building a stronger, safer, and more imaginative Los Angeles, one story at a time.