Youth Culture Moves the World
Since first catching our attention during the COVID-19 pandemic…
Youth Culture Moves the World (YCMtW), founded by Jorge Rivas, inspires Eastside youth through its Ballet Bravo dance company—where ballet meets folklórico. 💃🩰
With EAI grant support, YCMtW is expanding classes and creative spaces for learning and culture. Parents and volunteers help bring productions to life—from costumes and sets to supporting dancers on stage—making this a true community effort. 👏
Share your favorite dance and join us in celebrating Jorge, the board of directors, dancers, and everyone who makes YCMtW possible!
"We stand on shoulders of giants, for our students are able to fly away and know a paved way home." - Jorge Rivas
Digitizing ’70s–’80s Eastside Photos through a Chicano Lens
Through his LJR Photo Project, EAI grantee alum Luis J. Rodriguez brings East L.A.’s resilience, struggle, and pride into focus for today and generations to come. A poet, author, and LA Poet Laureate (2014–2016), LJR continues to inspire through storytelling and cultural vision. This year marks 30 years of his seminal memoir, Always Running, which offers raw glimpses of life in the San Gabriel Valley and illuminates communities too often overlooked.
"The arts in all its forms is one of the most transformative things a community can do for young people and everyone else [in their respective communities]." - Luis J. Rodriguez
EAI grantee alum Elza Heredia is the visionary behind Elza Queen Art (EQA), a creative enterprise rooted in self-discovery through visual and creative arts. A teaching artist, jewelry designer, mentor, and creative entrepreneur, Elza uplifts and empowers others through the transformative power of art making. Her purpose-driven journey has taken her from mentoring at-risk youth to developing impactful art programs for youth, families, and schools.
Elza offers innovative art classes for individuals and groups of all ages at her studio, Kreative Spot, in Pomona’s Arts Colony—where art and community come together.