Ánimo Voices: Amplifying Student Stories!

Access to tech and creative industry employment

Central LA East LA South LA West LA

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Despite assertions to the contrary, the arts are thriving in Los Angeles County: according to the Los Angeles Regional Consortium’s 2025 report, the “Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation” is projected to add over 13,000 jobs by 2038, an increase of nearly 10%. However, there is still a high-barrier to entry for this field, especially for individuals from backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in the arts. One gateway for young people is through work-based learning opportunities like site-visits, mentorships and internships. These experiences not only introduce students to the necessary skills needed to thrive in the field, but also crucially helps to establish a network of professionals and colleagues that can lead to future opportunity.

Funding from the LA 2050 Grant would be used to evolve and expand Green Dot’s Ánimo Voices competition. Now in its ninth year, Ánimo Voices is an opportunity for students across Green Dot’s 18 charter public middle and high schools to showcase their creativity. Finalists from each school are chosen in the categories of Art, Writing, and Spoken Word, with the overall 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners chosen by a committee of teachers, administrators, and philanthropic partners. The winners are celebrated by families and friends with an evening of readings and performance at the Los Angeles Public Library, which features a gallery walk of the winning art pieces and a published collection of the winning writings and spoken word pieces.
The winners of Ánimo Voices have historically received tablets and digital pens with the hope that access to this technology would facilitate further creative efforts. However, Green Dot aims to add to this approach by also providing these students with invaluable work-based learning experiences that will serve them for years to come. First-place winners will be connected with an industry partner for an optional two-week paid internship aligned with their artistic interests. Second- and third-place winners will have the opportunity to shadow an industry professional for a day of mentorship, and all finalists will be invited to participate in creative industry field trips to learn more about what a career in the arts looks like in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles County’s arts industry will look more like Los Angeles itself if our work is successful. By connecting our students to work-based learning opportunities in the arts and creative professionals with similar backgrounds, we equip them with both the skills they need to thrive and the belief that they belong in the arts. We already recognize the impact our students’ stories have on our school community: by helping make a career in the arts accessible, we also envision a future where our students’ diverse stories and limitless creativity reach wider audiences and resonate both locally and nationally.