The CCC Project @ Nueva Upper School in San Mateo

Hello and Happy New Year!

As the Creative Youth Collective gets ready to kick off the spring 2024 semester next week, we dropped into Nueva’s Upper School in San Mateo, CA to host an alternative photographic process and creative writing workshop on Tuesday, January 9th. Thanks to everyone who joined and a very special shout out to Anna, our 2023 Creative Youth Collective scholarship recipient, for her invaluable teaching assistance.

We had a blast learning about psychogeography and experimenting with the historic cyanotype process. Participants composed short stories and created conceptual blue prints using both found and brought materials. Check out some of our images below, and stay tuned - we’re working on a book featuring the photographs and texts produced during The CCC Project x Nueva collab this spring!

Creative Youth Collective Scholarship Application Deadline is Today

Hey there, 

Today is the last day! The Creative Youth Collective Scholarship application closes at 7:59 pm tonight. We chose 7:59 pm because we want our procrastinator friends to get a good night's sleep. :) If you've been putting it off, please CLICK HERE to apply now. Thank you to all who've already submitted. We'll schedule interviews with the finalists in the next few weeks. Good luck! 

And while we're here, I thought I'd share a few reflections on some conversations I've been having the last few weeks about the deep connection between creativity and wellbeing.

When I asked members of the Creative Youth Collective what they liked best about working together, they talked about having a fun and safe place to express themselves and explore their ideas. They felt that our weekly sessions gave them an opportunity to:

 

  • Take on the identities of different characters and personas

  • Articulate ideas the way they wanted to

  • Escape from the norm and build a world where anyone can be anything

 

In addition to the creative benefits, they also mentioned something else that I feel is super important. Our creative work has a positive effect on their emotional wellbeing as well. They felt that our time together also gave them an opportunity to:

 

  • Channel feelings they had no other space to work out

  • Express things that aren’t easy to say

  • Release stress

 

I hear that 100%. Whenever we make something, a little bit of ourselves shows up in it somehow. And when someone listens to us and simply says, I hear that thing you’re struggling with, and I want to help, we can feel a little less alone. And that sense of connection can be invaluable to our creative wellbeing, and to our emotional wellbeing as well.

If you can relate, you belong here. So get that application in by 7:59 pm PST tonight. :)

With lots of love and inspiration,

Kathryn

Some great advice to young writers from young writers 💪

Hey,

I know you’ve been there. You’re sitting there in front of your screen, staring at a new Google doc, and every time that little tick blinks, it’s taunting you -

So what are you gonna write?
So, what are you gonna write? 
So what are you gonna write? 

Last month, the San Mateo Public Library featured members of the Creative Youth Collective and Whole Child Education at their first Young Authors Showcase, (it was AWESOME - thank you SMPL! ) and here, VKG, author of The Shadeway, shares a powerful personal tip on how to beat the blank page and just get started.  Click play and listen up - following this advice will at least double your creative output. 

VKG has good advice for a reason. Not only did they create their own solar system, they created their own language, too! I know - now you’re curious about The Shadeway, right? Read the full text in our ebook library, or purchase your own copy here.  Don't worry, there's a glossary in the back of the book. :)

Want to see your ideas come to life, too? Join us! There’s only one week left to apply for the Creative Youth Collective Scholarship. Don’t wait. I see you. I get you. Let’s make this dream happen together.

With so much love and inspiration,

Kathryn

Creative Youth Collective Scholarship Application is OPEN!

Big News!

The Creative Youth Collective Scholarship application is open, and I'm inviting EVERY young creative writer and photographer to apply. It's a $6,000 merit based award open to all youth who’d like to see their creative ideas come to life in Spring 2024.


But before I go any further, let’s get clear about something very important - writers and photographers, listen up! :) 


Ideas come in all different shapes and sizes. There are big, fluffy ones that whisk our minds away to a cosmos of our own creation. There are little prickly ones that get stuck in our shoes and make us walk a little funny. Sometimes we even get super bouncy ideas that spring into our mind and leave just as fast as they came.

Whatever the shape or size of our ideas, we have to learn how to take care of them, almost like we take care of a pet. When we feed them good food and give them lots of love, they thrive.

But of course, this takes time. Sometimes, before we learn how to take care of our ideas, we default into our own anti-hero - our very own idea squasher! Idea squashers get judge-y and down on themselves about whether their ideas are good enough. They stop themselves before they even have a chance to begin. 

Trust me on this. Life as an idea squasher is no fun at all.

In the Creative Youth Collective, we begin with your idea-seed, whatever shape it's in, and we figure out ways to make it grow wild together. The Creative Youth Collective Scholarship is an opportunity for next-level exploration, experimentation, and play. Perfection isn’t a part of the creative process here - or anywhere else for that matter.  :) 

Okay, so now that you've squashed your inner idea squasher, you’re probably wondering, how do I apply? Well, it’s easy!

The application is three short questions, it's totally free, and we'll award 3 semi-finalists with partial scholarships valued at $1K, too! Applications must be submitted by 7:59 PM PST on November 15th, so don’t wait. If you've got questions, hit reply, or book a time on my calendar, and I'll give you a quick call.

Please share this AWESOME opportunity.  Forward it to friends, family, schools, homeschool groups, and of course, any young creative writers or photographers you can think of. 

And it’s worth repeating, because I really mean it. Your ideas are enough. Your voice matters. You belong here. So please apply, and encourage all creative 10 - 18 year olds in your life to apply, too. 

Thank you for sharing your ideas - it’s the ultimate act of generosity.

With so much love and inspiration,

Kathryn

 

Sneak Peek! San Mateo Public Library Youth Authors Showcase

We're ready for the weekend!

Meet us at the San Mateo Public Library


Our Featured Books

We're thrilled that the San Mateo Public Library is featuring books written by the Creative Youth Collective and Whole Child Education members this month. Visit the youth section of the main branch in downtown San Mateo to check out Charlie, Vincent, and Claren's books. If you can't wait to get to the library, we understand! Take a peek at the full ebooks now.

 

Youth Author Showcase

This Saturday, October 14th from 11 - 11:45 am, Charlie, Vincent, and Claren (WCE) will share a brief excerpt from their books, and talk a bit about their ideas and inspirations at our Youth Author Showcase, generously hosted by SMPL. At the end, we'll have a raffle and every attendee will have a chance to win one of our featured books!

Thank you so much for joining us in celebrating this incredible opportunity for our young authors! We appreciate your support.


Share our event with your community. 

 

Buy a copy of our young authors' books through our Blurb store! 100% of our profits support causes that we care deeply about.
Check out the organizations we're supporting this year.

We're at the San Mateo County Library!

BIG NEWS!

Creative Youth Collective members featured at the San Mateo County Library

Exhibition, Youth Author Showcase, and Raffle

We are thrilled to announce that the San Mateo Public Library is featuring the work of two of our Creative Youth Collective members this month and next. Visit the youth section of the main branch in downtown San Mateo to check out Charlie and Vincent's hard and soft cover books.

And on Saturday, October 14th from 11 - 11:45 am, the SMCL's will host our very own Youth Author Showcase. Charlie, Vincent, and Claren (WCE) will each share a brief excerpt from their books, and talk a bit about their creative processes. At the end, we'll have a raffle and every attendee will have a chance to win one of our featured books!

We would love for you to join us in celebrating this incredible opportunity for our young authors. Here's how you can support -

Share our flyer with your community.

 

Join us on our Facebook Event page.

 

Buy your very own copy of our young authors' books through our Blurb store! 100% of our profits support causes that we care deeply about. Check out the organizations we're supporting this year.

CYC Scholarship Exhibition Finissage: Sunday, July 2nd

Namibia
Photographs and Stories by Anna Calia

Creative Youth Collective Scholarship
Exhibition Finissage


July 2, 2023
11 - 1 pm | The Village Hub | Woodside, CA


Please join us this Sunday, July 2nd, from 11 am - 1 pm at The Village Hub's Open House event! It's the last day to visit Anna's Namibia exhibition, and an opportunity to meet the artist herself. All work is available for purchase. 16 x 20 inch framed prints are $150 each, and include a 20% donation to The Village Hub.

Here's a sneak peak at two photographs in the show, along with commentary from the photographer. If you're unable to join us in person this Sunday, you can see the full exhibition and purchase prints through our website, as well! 


 

Dune 45

The dunes of Sossusvlei in the Namib-Naukluft National Park get their red color from the iron oxide content in the sand. The tone is intensified by the rising sun and by the contrast of light and shadow. The wind blows from all directions, shifting the sand into a characteristic pattern known as a "star dune."  This was not the easiest photograph to take – it required a pre-dawn hike through shifting sands to the windy top of the dune – but it was worth it to be able to capture the moment at which the natural light revealed this intense color.

 

Strolling for a Snack

The N/a’an Ku Se Reserve spans thousands of hectares outside of Windhoek, Namibia and provides protection to injured, orphaned, and conflict animals. The protections afforded this giraffe give him the freedom to pursue the simple, comforting pleasure of searching for a tasty treat, while bringing the viewer along with him. In addition to protecting wildlife, the foundation focuses on conserving the culture and land of Namibia. 

All We Do

Dear Friends,

The CCC Project is creating a library of expanded storytelling authored by youth. Working with text, photographs, moving images and sound to express the unique vision of each member of the Creative Youth Collective, we use storytelling as a form of youth-centered activism. In sharing our stories, we dream, imagine, and create new futures.

On Sunday, May 21st, the Creative Youth Collective and Whole Child Education communities gathered to celebrate the stories we’ve woven this year at The Village Hub in Woodside, Ca. Parents, family, and friends of the young artists and writers joined us in celebrating the release of five new books, two blogs, a film, and an exhibition of photographs. 

In addition to the hard and soft cover books, each member of the Creative Youth Collective designed a poster for their story with a QR code that linked to their ebook, film, or blog. All of the Creative Youth Collective stories are featured in the library on our website, where you can flip through the books, check out the blogs, and watch the film. We are so proud of our young artists and writers, and the ideas they've realized over the course of the last academic year! 

Creative Youth Collective Scholarship
Exhibition Open House

July 2, 2023
11 - 1 pm | The Village Hub
Woodside, CA

In 2022, The CCC Project established the Creative Youth Collective Scholarship: a full semester, merit-based award that celebrates young artists and writers who demonstrate exceptional talent and commitment to their creative visions. Our 2023 CYC Scholarship recipient Anna Calia's solo exhibition,Namibia, is on view at The Village Hub in Woodside, CA through July 2, 2023.

Photographs by Anna Calia, 16x20 archival C-Prints

During the summer of 2022, Anna was part of a photography and conservation student travel program in Namibia. She spent a month camping in the bush, photographing, and learning about the incredible wildlife. This exhibition celebrates her commitment to her work as a photographer, as well as her deep respect for animals, nature, and the environment.

I’ve had the honor of mentoring Anna and helping her cultivate her passion for photography and writing since she was ten years old. It’s been an absolute pleasure to watch her continuously grow as an artist throughout the last seven years. In autumn, Anna will be heading to Washington DC to study photojournalism at Corcoran School of Art and Design at George Washington University where she will continue to follow her passion for photography and environmental conservation.

Please join us at The Hub's exhibition Open House on July 2nd from 11 am - 1 pm to see Anna's exhibition in person, and meet the artist herself! All work is available for purchase. 16 x 20 inch framed prints are $150 each. If you're unable to join us in person, and you can see the full exhibition featured on our website, as well.

Creative Youth Collective 2023-24 Registration

The CCC Project believes that creativity, curiosity, and community form the cornerstones of an engaged life. We are a highly personalized, radically collaborative arts and humanities education platform for creative youth. With a foundation in mentorship and interdisciplinary arts education, we provide the framework to help young artists and writers discover and dive deeper into their interests, develop the skills needed to realize long term idea-driven projects, and most importantly, share their creative work with the communities that matter to them most.

We have very limited space left for the upcoming academic year. If you think this program might be the perfect fit for a creative young person in your life, please click here to schedule a free personal consultation. 

 
  

Warmly,
Kathryn

 

All We Do
A poem by Ben Okri

Gazing at the shape of a hill, 
The grey horizon, 
A woman reading a book,
A landscape shaped by history.
All we do is story.

Our public acts are dreams.
Our private acts are dramas.
Submerged rivers are our thoughts,
Misted streams our hopes.

Like the spider we turn
All things into ourselves.
We bend the light
Of time into fables.

Beyond our mind, reality moves.
Unknowable like the darkness
Before creation.

We carve from the unknown
A world.

Without story
Our identities
Starve.

We live in and out
Of time
Simultaneously.

Living belongs to story.
Being belongs to mystery.
Beyond form
Our souls
Breathe.

We yield time
Our story-making sense.
In this portion of eternity,
Awake and in dreams,
We live myths.
It's what makes us immense.

Spring 2023 News and Events

Dear Friends,

It's been an action packed semester here at The CCC Project! As we wrap up this school year and plan for the next, I'm so excited to share what we've been up to as well as what's ahead.  

 

Creative Work Share and Artist Talk with
Trina Michelle Robinson

On Saturday, April 1, 2023, members of The Creative Youth Collective and Whole Child Education got together for the very first time in Woodside, CA to meet each other, learn about each other's current creative projects, and listen to our featured artist Trina Michelle Robinson speak about her interdisciplinary art practice. Trina explores the relationship between memory and migration through film, print media, archival materials and text. Her work has been shown at galleries and film festivals throughout the country including including the BlackStar Film Festival in Philadelphia, the San Francisco Art Commission Main Gallery, Minnesota Street Project, New York’s Wassaic Project and is included in the Museum of the African Diaspora’s (MoAD) Emerging Artist Program 2022-2023. She told the story of exploring her ancestry with The Moth Mainstage on stages throughout the country including New York’s Lincoln Center and NPR’s Moth Radio Hour. 

Creative Work Share and Artist Talk, April 2023, Woodside, CA
Members of the Creative Youth Collective and Whole Child Education check out some of the materials Trina brought back from Senegal and Cameroon. 

 

Creative Youth Collective

Exhibition & Celebration

At the beginning of the Fall semester, we launched the Creative Youth Collective (CYC), an innovative, student-centered program, specially designed to inspire youth to cultivate their passions, realize their ideas, and share their creative work with the communities they care about most. I cannot wait to share the wildly imaginative projects each member of the collective is currently bringing to life. And next month, I'm happy to say, we'll have the opportunity to do just that!

On Sunday, May 21, 2023 from 2-4 pm, the Creative Youth Collective and Whole Child Education will celebrate the work we’ve created this year with an exhibition in Guild Hall at The Village Hub in Woodside. We’re inviting parents, family, and friends of the young artists and writers to join us in celebrating our creativity, curiosity, and community.

At this event, we will also honor our very first Creative Youth Collective Scholarship recipient, Anna Calia. Anna is an accomplished visual artist and photojournalist, who is on her way to college to continue studying fine art in the Fall. I started working with Anna when she was 10 years old; it's been an incredible privilege to mentor her as her creative interests have developed and deepened over the past 7 years. 

We'd love to have you join us! Please click here if you'd like to be added to our guest list.

 

Summer and Fall Registration 2023-2024

Registration is now open to new creative youth who would like to join the Creative Youth Collective for summer programming as well as the 23-24 school year! Space is limited, so if you think this program might be the perfect fit for a creative young person in your life, click here to schedule a personal consultation. Registration forms and deposits are due on June 1st.
 

If you know someone who would appreciate the work we do, I would be grateful if you forwarded this link to them -- we love making new friends. As always, thank you so much for your interest in The CCC Project, and for your support of creative youth!

 

List of Recommended Specialists

Maya and I would like to thank all of our past and current clients for the incredible references you sent us for our List of Recommended Specialists. It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know each of the professionals we've included on the list, and we hope that you will have an opportunity to get to know them, too. We will be regularly updating it as we receive more recommendations. 

  

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