| | Back to School. Back to Creating! |
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| A new school year means new classes, new ideas - and new opportunities to create!
If you’re looking for a little inspiration to get started, revisit some of the incredible creativity from this summer’s Creative Youth Celebration. Click below to access our new video playlist, which brings together performances, artist conversations, highlights, and memorable moments from an afternoon dedicated to celebrating young artists across the Bay Area. |
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| As you head back to the classroom, studio, stage, or wherever you create, keep the 2027 Creative Youth Awards in mind. Submissions open October 14, giving Bay Area students the opportunity to share original work across seven creative disciplines.
So start experimenting. Follow an idea. Make something you’re excited about.
Your next project could be your CYA submission. |
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| Writopia Lab Bay Area is offering scholarships for our upcoming 2026-2027 programming calendar to 20 youth writers in the East Bay! We are excited to offer all scholarship recipients the opportunity to attend one trimester of our Oakland-based writing programs. Writer Scholars will participate in engaging, age-based workshops designed to strengthen their writing skills while building community.
There are two different scholarships – the Next-Gen Writer Fellow (ages 13-18) and the Emerging Writer Scholar (ages 8-12). This is not a needs-based scholarship but we do encourage those with financial need to respond to the optional question about circumstance.
Who: Teens within East Bay Residency Deadline: Friday, September 4th at 11:59pm |
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| | For East Bay families, Writopia Lab is hosting its Fall Open House at its Oakland location!
The open house will be an opportunity to tour the space, meet and mingle with fellow families and writers, and learn more about fall workshops, scholarships, and financial aid before the new workshop trimester begins.
Who: Open to families in the East Bay When: September 8 7–8PM and September 12 11AM-1PM Where: Writopia Oakland Location, 1721 Broadway, Suite 207 |
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| Community Day | The Big Draw 2026: Make a Mark
Join The Walt Disney Family Museum on Sunday, September 6 for The Big Draw, the world’s largest drawing festival! This year’s theme, Make a Mark, celebrates the expressive power of drawing and the ways gestures and movement can shape how we see, think, and connect.
Explore a variety of themed activities throughout the museum designed to make drawing fun, creative, and accessible for everyone. Come make your mark and discover the many ways drawing can inspire connection and self-expression!
Who: Open to all ages When: September 6 Time: 10AM-3PM Where: Walt Disney Family Museum, 104 Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94129 Please note: All activities are free with the exception of the museum galleries, which require paid admission for entry. |
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| College-bound intermediate and advanced dancers ages 7–22 may be eligible for the Joan Myers Brown Equity Scholarship from Francisco Gella Dance Works. Created in honor of the pioneering artist and educator Joan Myers Brown, the scholarship offers awards of up to 100% of tuition to help young dancers pursue their educational and artistic goals.
Scholarships are competitive and available for especially deserving dancers.
Please note specific eligible programs and locations where they’ll take place.
Application Deadline: Fall Program Deadlines September 10 Eligibility: Ages 12-22 |
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| By teens for teens! Join Teens Art Council for their free kick-off BBQ.
Eat delicious food, paint a tote bag, and learn about exciting events ahead.
Teen Arts Council is a group run by Palo Alto teens dedicated to providing spaces and events for high school students to express themselves artistically, whether that be through visual art, fashion, poetry, music, comedy, or film.
Who: Teens within Palo Alto Residency What: Community BBQ Where: Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301 When: September 12 Time: 1-3PM |
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YOUTH FILMHOUSE RESIDENCY OPEN TO APPLY
The Youth FilmHouse Residency is an annual program that begins in the fall semester for Bay Area students grades 9–12 who identify themselves as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color (BIPOC) and are excited to explore careers in film and filmmaking.
Throughout the residency, students will engage with SFFILM FilmHouse Residents, SFFILM staff, film industry professionals, and a dynamic curriculum that integrates practical skills like production strategy and technique with trainings, panels, and lectures that highlight industry knowledge and possible career paths through our artist network.
Application Deadline: September 14 at 11:59 PM PST Eligibility: Bay Area students grades 9–12 who identify themselves as BIPOC |
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SUBMIT YOUR SHORT FILMS TO YOUTH WORKS!
Do you enjoy making short films? The 70th San Francisco International Film Festival coming in April 2027 has a Youth Works category that supports, encourages, and champions the work of young filmmakers from the Bay Area and around the world. Works produced by filmmakers 18 years and younger are eligible for our Youth Works category. Submissions to the Youth Works category are free and narrative, documentary, hybrid, animated, and music video short films are accepted.
Application Deadline: Submissions are open through December 2, 2026 |
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Are you interested in working with our team to support, encourage and celebrate other Creative Youth?
The CYA is offering a 8 hour per week paid internship this Fall to help us with CYA outreach, research and more.
Applications Open: August 25, 2026 Applications Close: September 15, 2026 Internship Dates: October 7-December 9, 2026 Location: San Francisco, CA |
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| The Creative Futures Fellowship is a selective, year-long fellowship for San Francisco public high school students who are passionate about art, creativity, and making a positive impact in their communities.
Fellows meet monthly throughout the school year with professional artists, participate in workshops, studio visits, and career exploration, and conclude the program with a six-week Summer Intensive where they create ambitious new work and present it in a professional exhibition at Root Division.
All Fellows receive a stipend in recognition of their commitment to the program.
Application Deadline: September 21 Eligibility: Be entering grades 9–12 at a Bay Area public high school Program Dates: October 2026 – July 2027 |
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| Are you 14–17 and living in San Francisco? Join BAVC Media’s free Next Gen after-school youth program and learn to tell your story through video and animation. Participants gain hands-on experience with professional equipment and software while working in a supportive, collaborative environment to create short films and media projects—great additions to a college application portfolio.
Plus, participants can earn a $300 incentive at the end of each semester!
Application Deadline: October 10 Who: Open to San Francisco youth ages 14-17. No experience required. Program Dates: Tuesday, September 29 until Thursday, December 17 Time: 4:30-6:30pm Where: Hybrid Program, Online + Programming is currently held in person in San Francisco |
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| unfiltered youth, Shaikhah A. |
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| To me, creativity means a lot of things, but when I think of creativity, it's anything that can make a difference in people's lives, whether it's something scientific or a portrait with a meaning behind it. Creativity is the root of success and the key to reaching an inspirational level. |
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| | | Cultivating Creativity Together |
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| Support the work we do to foster a society that embodies creative spirit, art, and innovation. Make an impact today with a one-time or monthly gift, a donor-advised fund contribution, stock donation, Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), or employer match. |
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