Street Poets Inc. creates circles. Poetry circles. Drum circles. Multi-cultural multi-generational circles. Creative healing circles within which at-risk youth and young adults can breathe, write, laugh, cry and rediscover their authentic voices in the midst of a world increasingly ruled by fear and permeated by violence. We do what we do with the larger goal of transforming our society into one that champions the creative process, multicultural community, peace-making, healing and personal growth.

Poetry Workshops:

We currently serve youth at the following school, probation & community sites:

• Camp Scott for Girls (LA County Probation)
• Camp Miller for Boys (LA County Probation)
• Central High School (Mar Vista Gardens)
• Fremont High School
• Locke High School
• Manual Arts High School
• Washington Prep High School
• West Adams Prep High School
• East LA Performing Arts High School
• Stephen Foster Elementary School (Compton, CA)
• Edelman Children’s Court

We also provide Street Poets workshops through collaboration with the following non-profit organizations:

• Artworx
• Homeboy Industries
• Youth Mentoring Connection
• Wolf Connection

Street Poets also facilitates African Drumming/Spoken-Word workshops at various sites throughout Los Angeles in collaboration with Rhythm Arts Alliance.

Community Open Mics:

Street Poets Inc. is committed to building a community that brings together different racial, ethnic and socio-economic segments of the city around the transformational power of the creative process. Toward this end, we host quarterly open-mic poetry events – Community Soul Circles — for our students, workshop alumni, staff, volunteers, family and friends. These events showcase emerging poetic voices while creating a space in which emotional openness and honesty are not only encouraged, but celebrated. As the gap between rich and poor and different ethnic groups continues to widen in our city, we believe creative communities like ours founded on truths that transcend race, class and creed will become increasingly important.

Recording Studio:

Founded in 2007, the Street Poets recording studio is dedicated to amplifying the inspirational stories, deep truths and transformational messages that continue to emerge from our poetry workshops and creative community. Street Poets produces a compilation CD of spoken-word and hip-hop on an annual basis, with the intention of bringing inspiration and healing to all those still struggling to find their voices in the streets, schools and juvenile detention facilities of this world.

Our weekly Writing & Recording Group Session happens Fridays 4-8pm @ Street Poets. Please call ahead.

Rites of Passage: 

Street Poets awakens youth to their own true nature by bringing them out of the city into active relationship with the natural world. In addition to hikes, trips to the ocean, and community rituals designed to inspire healing, we facilitate annual initiation retreats for both boys and girls (in collaboration with Youth Mentoring), and maintain ongoing collaborative relationships with Sweat-lodge communities throughout Southern California.

Organizational Information