City Librarian Luis Herrera
Congratulations to Luis Herrera, San Francisco’s City Librarian, who was recently honored by Library Journal as the 2012 Librarian of the Year! Read about his inspiring leadership, his innovative collection management, as well as his model of mentorship and building effective partnerships, here.
Congratulations to the 2011 winners of the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards! In a White House ceremony this morning, First Lady Michelle Obama honored 12 programs from across the country with the award for their excellence in after-school programming. To learn more about the 12 programs, click here. To watch the ceremony and hear the First Lady’s remarks, click here.
We are excited for this year’s winners, and glad to know of so many excellent colleagues working in the field of arts and humanities education. Last October, we were at the White House to receive this award. It was definitely a day to remember for the rest of our lives.
Our friends at Intersection for the Arts just launched their Youth Art Workshop, which was designed to create a space for young people who live, work, learn, and play in this community to be empowered as leaders, innovators, and artists. The Youth Art Workshop includes a collaboration with a few organizations, including WritersCorps, Oasis for Girls, YMCA, and Larkin Street Youth Services.
WritersCorps teaching artist Carrie Leilam Love will be leading a writing workshop for young women from September through December that explores identity, architecture, and urban landscapes via visual art and writing. The workshop culminates in a performance reading on December 9.
The Youth Art Workshop will also include a slew of other opportunities and special workshops for young people. For more information, go here.
The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) has released its landmark report “Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools” after 18 months of research. And who should be on the cover? San Francisco WritersCorps!
Pictured on the cover is former WritersCorps teaching artist Myron Michael Hardy with one of his students from Downtown High School. We just love this photo. Look at that smile on the student’s face! The photo was taken by Michele Kraus at our spring 2010 Claim the Block reading series. See the original photo here.
To download the report, which provides an analysis of the challenges and opportunities in the field of arts education, click here.
Wanna become a ZeumMaster? If you’re between the ages of 14 and 17 and are interested in this one-of-a-kind paid internship opportunity, the deadline to apply is March 15. Zeum: San Francisco’s Children’s Museum is a hands-on, multimedia arts and technology experience for kids. The ZeumMasters program offers young people an integral professional and mentoring experience. You’ll develop skills in art, media, and technology. You’ll also serve as a visitor guide for guests by assisting in everything from creating clay animation movies to developing your communication and leadership skills. For more details and to download an application, go here. 
