El Arte De La Abundancia/The Art of Abundance

Asheville Writers In The Schools and Community (AWITSC) ignites social change through the power of the arts, culture, and restorative self-expression.

One of our most impactful programs is Word on the Street/La Voz de les Jóvenes (WOTS/VDLJ), which was launched in 2016. WOTS/VDLJ is an afterschool (and one Saturday per month) program, with a summer intensive, that centers the leadership and creativity of black and brown youth, ages 13-19. Through arts-based programming, participants (known as The Squad) develop healthy relationships with peers and mentors, while working to make a difference in their community using their voices, talents and imaginations. As members of The Squad, youth build a unique and bilingual space to become hopeful about their futures, experience racial healing and develop a radical imagination to build a better world.