About Us
What We Do
EPACENTER is a creative youth development organization that works with East Palo Alto youth as they amplify their talents and impact their world through art and design.
Our name (pronounced “epicenter”) refers to the rich cultural energy of our home, the City of East Palo Alto (EPA). East Palo Alto’s power and potential is evident in our young people. At EPACENTER, we provide opportunities for youth to amplify their creative voices, resulting in a stronger and more vibrant city.
Conceived and developed by the youth of East Palo Alto and designed by world-renowned architect Kulapat Yantrasast, our new creative youth development center is a major hub of opportunity for all youth in the greater East Palo Alto area.
From the home of the Ohlone people, to Japanese American flower growers, to African–American leaders who incorporated the City, to the more recent and growing Latino and Polynesian cultures, EPACENTER celebrates both the place where we are rooted and those who live in it.
“I’ve developed so many different skills socially and emotionally alongside my community. I feel a sense of purpose at EPACENTER.”
– staci edwards, EPACENTER FOUNDING YOUTH MEMBER AND CURRENT BOARD MEMBER
Our Mission
Our mission is to increase opportunities for youth to discover and amplify their talents, realize their potential, and impact the world through art, design, and technology.
Values
We believe that youth have the right to determine the world they will inherit as adults. We believe that creativity is a civil rights issue.
We value the rights of young people to shape their world, and to create civic, social, educational, economic, and environmental circumstances that enable them to live healthy, productive, and sustainable lives.
We also engage youth in organizational decision-making, key leadership roles, and cultural leadership opportunities.
We privilege the creative work of young people, featuring their artwork in our gallery, on our stages, and on our screens.
