Youth and Creativity

Who do we want to be?

About This Initiative

We offer creative spaces to learn and grow

How can we provide more authentic, supportive communities for young people? Our youth and arts programming makes space for youth and young adults to learn about themselves and to grow, in community and in partnership with supportive adults. We also offer training for adults to learn to work better with young people. Our programming includes annual youth camps at the Commonweal Bolinas location, virtual workshops and trainings through Partnership for Youth Empowerment, and our unique Visual Thinking Strategies and Creative Facilitation workshops. Together, these Commonweal programs are fostering resilience and hope across generations.

Programs Focused on this Initiative

Commonweal programs support youth and creativity

Natura Institute for Ecology and Medicine

NAT

Natura Institute for Ecology and Medicine

Natura Institute for Ecology and Medicine at Commonweal Garden is dedicated to reconnecting people to the living systems that restore us to health and wholeness.

Taproot Gathering

TAP

Taproot Gathering

Drawing deep from the wells of the mystical, magical, queer, earth-based, and prophetic dimensions of Jewish tradition, Taproot offers nourishment, community, and education for emerging Jewish organizers, activists, artists, cultural workers and ritual leaders.

Visual Thinking Strategies

VTS

Visual Thinking Strategies

Visual Thinking Strategies is an evidence-based arts integration model that helps students develop critical thinking and communication skills, which can then transfer to other academic subjects as well as other parts of their lives.

Partners for Youth Empowerment

PYE

Partners for Youth Empowerment

For 25 years, Partners for Youth Empowerment has been unleashing the creative potential of young people.

Power of Hope

POH

Power of Hope

Power of Hope is an arts-based summer camp where youth, ages 14-18, develop confidence, a joy for life, a passion for the natural world, and the internal motivation to follow their aspirations and live a meaningful life.

Find community and your true self

The age coming into reality is more like jazz. You play because you understand the integrity of the sole notes that are sounded by others. And you harmonize to give this planet our good fortune of having a kind of existence.

Register for Power of Hope Youth Camp

Awaken creativity, connect with friends in nature, and just have fun. Find out more about Power of Hope and register for the next camp at Commonweal's retreat space in Bolinas, California.

Learn to be a creative facilitator

For over 25 years, Partners for Youth Empowerment (PYE) has been at the forefront of creative youth development and group facilitation. Thousands of practitioners are using the Creative Empowerment Model worldwide. Follow our PYE program to learn more about how creative empowerment can amplify your work.

Engagement

Find community and your true self

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A Place for Healing

The power of this rugged coastal land inspired a model for healing that is now used around the world.

“We like to create space to talk about and actually put into action the world that we want to be a part of.”
Samara Atkins, Lead Facilitator, Power of Hope Youth Camp
“We like to create space to talk about and actually put into action the world that we want to be a part of.”