The AjA Project will facilitate a fellowship where existing youth leaders can unite at the intersection between art and radical healing. COMPASS will be a node within the region’s solidarity networks, designed to uplift youth voices, and support action-oriented, peer-guided healing and reflection. 

Mental health resources are hard to access, the issues are difficult to talk about (which can discourage those who need help), and the data show there are racial disparities among those who are or aren’t able to receive care. But we know from deep experience that the arts are both an entry point and a vehicle for healing. In COMPASS we will  support existing youth leaders with radical healing + art spaces that enable dialogue about mental health challenges, generate resources to share with peers, and host art-rich, real-time events that support healthy development.  The youth cohort will design and curate an online platform for young people to find a centralized point for mental health that is sourced by BIPOC leaders in art, advocacy and wellness in San Diego and Tijuana region.

The AjA Project is committed to healing in the community through the arts. Through this channeling of energy across our region’s solidarity networks, we will support youth as they define what healing means for themselves and for those they love. COMPASS allows for self-sufficient and sustainable discovery to occur. We understand there is a responsibility that comes with the process of healing, and we are calling for the support of our local Mental Health professionals, San Diego and Tijuana based artists whose work addresses mental health and wellness with additional support from The AjA Project team.

As a community-based, social justice photography organization, we see this through the lens of power.