Create Now's New Era

K-12 STEAM education

Central LA East LA South LA San Gabriel Valley San Fernando Valley Antelope Valley County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit) City of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a citywide benefit) LAUSD (select only if you have a district-wide partnership) West LA

Applying a proven solution to a new issue or sector (using an existing model, tool, resource, strategy, etc. for a new purpose)

In Los Angeles, thousands of youth—especially those in foster care, experiencing homelessness, or living in poverty—lack access to consistent, high-quality arts education. Many attend underfunded schools with limited or no creative programming and face systemic barriers that leave them disconnected from opportunities for healing, self-expression, and future careers. Create Now seeks to address this gap by providing free, culturally relevant arts programs that uplift youth, support their mental health, and open doors to creative pathways that can transform their lives.

This grant will support Create Now’s “New Era” initiative—an urgent and strategic effort to expand and stabilize our free arts programming for underserved youth across Los Angeles. As we prepare to relocate from our longtime DTLA space due to redevelopment, funding will help sustain and grow our in-school, after-school, and community-based programs in visual arts, music, creative writing, performing arts, and multimedia. These workshops are led by professional teaching artists and are designed to provide healing, inspire self-expression, and introduce youth to real-world creative career paths. The initiative also strengthens our operational capacity to reach more youth in marginalized neighborhoods, ensuring they have consistent access to transformative arts experiences.

If Create Now’s work is successful, Los Angeles County will be a more equitable, creative, and connected place for underserved youth. Young people from low-income neighborhoods, foster care, and shelters will have regular access to high-quality arts education that supports their mental health, builds confidence, and opens doors to careers in the creative economy. Communities across LA will benefit from empowered youth who feel seen, heard, and equipped to contribute artistically and economically—ultimately helping to break cycles of poverty, trauma, and disconnection through the transformative power of the arts.