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Board committee advances $50,000 NEA grant for Writers Corps serving San Francisco youth
Summary
The Budget & Finance Committee forwarded a resolution allowing the San Francisco Arts Commission to accept a $50,000 NEA grant for the Writers Corps, which the commission says will reach about 600 young people this year; public commenters urged better outreach to Southeast sector and detained youth.
The Budget and Finance Committee moved forward a resolution authorizing the San Francisco Arts Commission to accept and expend a $50,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support the Writers Corps.
Mister Cancel, identified in the record as the Arts Commission director, told the committee the program is entering its 17th year and partners with the Library and the Department of Children, Youth and their Families to place published writers in schools, public libraries and the juvenile justice hall center. "In the current fiscal year, we anticipate that we'll be able to reach about 600 young students in San Francisco," he said.
Supervisor John Avalos asked how the program recruits sites and which schools participate. Melissa Hung, the program's new manager, said services are delivered in-school on a weekly basis and that the Writers Corps is operating in five public schools this year: Actus Middle School, Downtown High School, Mission High School, International Studies Academy and Hilltop School for pregnant and parenting minors.
Public commenters urged the commission to expand outreach. Francisco de Costa asked for "empirical data" and targeted outreach to the Southeast sector, saying the $50,000 grant is "very little" compared with other arts spending. Alpha Buie, who works with youth who are detained or reentering the community, asked the commission to consider partnerships that support detained youth as they reenter school and community programs.
On a motion from Supervisor Ellsburn, the committee moved the item to the full Board of Supervisors with its recommendation.
The full board will consider the resolution at a later date; committee materials indicate the award is general operating support for Writers Corps programming.
