You’re in luck! In honor of the holiday season, The Beat Within has launched its SECOND t-shirt fundraiser! Our first fundraiser was an incredible success thanks to the loyalty of our supporters. Due to a high demand for t-shirts after the fundraiser's closing date, The Beat has decided to re-launch! Donations will go directly towards the printing and distributing of our publication (which comes out twice a month). By donating, you will help insure that each young person who participates in our weekly writing workshop receives our 60 page publication. Help these youth and spread the holiday love by getting yourself and your loved ones at-shirt for the holidays.
The Beat Within was founded in San Francisco (1996) when David Inocencio, a social worker inside the San Francisco Juvenile Justice Center, realized that there was no vehicle for the voices of incarcerated youth. The Beat Within partners with community organizations and individuals to bring resources to youth both inside and outside of detention. The program is committed to being an effective bridge between youth who are incarcerated and the community that aims to support their progress towards a healthy, non-violent, and productive life. TBW’s primary objective is to provide detained youth with aweekly writing workshop that provides them with a safe space to share their ideas and experiences, whilepromoting self-expression, literacy, critical thinking skills, health, and supportive relationships with adults and the greater community. The weekly workshops serve over 5,000 youth annually and are held in 11 California counties: San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, Fresno, Los Angeles, Marin, Monterey, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Solano. The weekly workshops run for one hour on each unit at Juvenile Justice Centers, providing detained youth with up to 50 weeksof literary arts programming each calendar year. Additionally, The workshop model is replicated in Arizona, Florida, New Mexico, Texas, Hawaii, Oregon, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, and in Washington, DC.We also have partnerships in The Netherlands and in El Salvador. The Beat Within'spublication (which comes out twice a month) allows youth to see their writings alongside dozens of other youth in similar situations. This certainly allows for pride and recognition of their individuality, while noting they are not alone in their struggles, choices, and circumstances. Through 19 years of unique one-of-a-kind programming, The Beat Withinhas emerged as a pillar in the juvenile justice community. To find out more about our work, we encourage you to visit our website, thebeatwithin.org, or visit us on Facebook. Thank you for your support and interest.
Supporters
The Beat Within gives kids a powerful voice and a way to grow and connect - a way to know that their stories matter!
The Beat Within gives young people the space they need and deserve to be heard. Just as important, the Beat opens the hearts and minds of all who read their powerful words.
We write because we have to.