In July 2023, the San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture launched the Youth Cultural Ambassadors Pilot Program to encourage youth to:
- Foster a love of arts as a vehicle for self-expression and civic engagement among young people in San Mateo County.
- Build community through arts and culture with the goal of greater youth involvement in the community.
- Highlight the role of arts and culture in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) and other public discourse.
Seven Youth Ambassadors, including an Inaugural San Mateo County Youth Poetry Ambassador, were selected for a one-year term from July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024. They were tasked to develop and execute an arts/culture-related project that would engage the community. The projects would focus on themes such as identity and belonging; mental health and healing; environment and sustainability; education and learning. Students were encouraged to collaborate with libraries, schools, or other organizations. Read the county’s press release.
The Youth Cultural Ambassadors Program (YCA) and related events were supported by the San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture and directed by San Mateo County Poet Laureate Emerita, Aileen Cassinetto. Visit the SMC Office of Arts and Culture for details.
Speak Poetry in San Mateo County 