I(the following program is currently on hiatus!)

Program Description
DiversityWorks’ intent is to build a social movement of young people who stand ready and prepared to be sincere agents of change, dismantling oppression and prejudice, first by actively examining issues of oppression in themselves and then taking those messages out into their larger communities.

The Works is an exciting opportunity for young people to work together to create positive change in their communities and to inspire others to do the same. The Works is a mixed gender, multiracial, year-long program for youth who are dedicated to community building, deepening their understanding of power and oppression, and working towards social change.

DiversityWorks is committed to providing a space for young people from different backgrounds to come together and examine issues in a safe, experiential and fun environment. Our workshops are all activity based, which means we use interactive activities to illuminate situations, in order to get people to think about conditions in a different way, and to provide a common experience for young people from which to work.

The Works (formerly known as the Summer Institute) is a year-long program for high-school and college-aged youth who are dedicated to community-building, deepening their understanding of power and oppression, and making a difference in their worlds through peer diversity education.

The Works begins with an intensive six-week, 250 hour, anti-oppression, social justice training program in which 25-35 youth come together in the San Francisco Bay Area for educational workshops, service learning and community events. Through these activities, participants gain a deeper understanding of racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, ableism, ageism, and other forms of oppression. Youth will also develop their own skills as leaders and gain tools for bringing about positive change in their communities. As a result of the program, we expect that each and every youth will themselves see the world in a different way and impact hundreds of other young people outside of the program through social justice work that they design and implement.

DiversityWorks would like to acknowledge the following funders who have played instrumental roles in the development of The Works:
The San Francisco Foundation, the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr Fund, the Clorox Foundation, the Eva Gunther Foundation, GATX Capital Corporation, the Oakland Fund for Children and Youth, The Vanguard Foundation, Global Education Partnership and Pat & Berniece Patterson