Last month, Chapter 510 attended Oakland’s Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Awards celebration —  an evening dedicated to recognizing the leaders, businesses, and community champions shaping the future of Oakland.

Chapter 510 has wrapped up our fifth year in our Westlake Writers' Room!

In 2019, Westlake Middle School offered Chapter 510 an old closet in their library to build a writing space. In collaboration with Gensler architects and artist Simon Tran, the Westlake Writers’ Room was born. Our first programs offered creative writing electives and homework assistance. The room was inspired by 8th graders who wanted a cozy space to hang out and an uncluttered place to write.

This month, Chapter 510 celebrated the fifth season of SOUNDSPACE, a podcast created by Oakland teens, with a collection of stories called I HEAR YOU: Audio Stories about Mental Health & Wellness.

This month, Chapter 510 celebrated the release of our latest book When The Stars Bloom in Oakland at the OUSD Lit Fest. This anthology of poems was written by 200 4th graders— with Chapter 510 teaching artists and mentors in eight classrooms at six different schools across the Oakland Unified School District.

This fall, Chapter 510 launched our pilot poetry program, “The Young Poets Expedition,” in partnership with Oakland Unified School District!

This initiative is a part of our three-year strategic plan goals to deepen our impact in OUSD schools and include more literacy-based curriculums across the district, focusing on creative writing and poetry.

Samira began her journey with Chapter 510 almost ten years ago. She was a curious and passionate eighth grader at North Oakland Community Charter School looking for a creative outlet.

Last month Chapter 510 staff got the opportunity to visit the International Library of Young Authors, a space created in partnership with The Hawkins Project. The library showcases youth writing from centers around the world, including several by Chapter 510’s very own writers . To accrue this work, the library has partnered with 85 nonprofits to provide a diverse collection of writing spanning over 1,000 books. All stories are organized and displayed according to their location and sponsoring nonprofit, representing more than 20 states and five countries.

Chapter 510 is celebrating its 10th anniversary at a time of crisis in our country. When we started, we wanted Oakland youth to be seen and to have the opportunity to write in community. We couldn’t foresee that 10 years later the entire world would be struggling for a way to unite around basic human rights. This Impact Report provides just a glimpse into the first 10 years of the Chapter 510 story.

Chapter 510’s new strategic plan doubles down on our mission to elevate the voices of Oakland’s Black, brown, and queer youth. In this shifting political and social landscape, our young people need a safe community to express themselves, and we need to hear them. Building on a decade of engagement, our plan amplifies our commitment to holding space for youth.

Welcome to the Board Janine, Hanna, Amelia, and Nicole!

Chapter 510’s new strategic plan doubles down on our mission to elevate the voices of Oakland’s Black, brown, and queer youth. In this shifting political and social landscape, our young people need a safe community to express themselves, and we need to hear them. Building on a decade of engagement, our plan amplifies our commitment to holding space for youth.

Thank you so much for joining us and Sista Scifi at The World as It Could Be with best-selling author Nnedi Okorafor and Kemi Ashing-Giwa. Together, through ticket sales and generous gifts at the event, you helped raise $25,000 to power our free creative writing programs.