Happy last day of National Poetry Month! ✍️
At YASP, poetry shows up all year long and is a core part of our RJ and Creative Arts programming. Just yesterday in our Creative Arts Workshop at JJSC, we were making blackout poetry and finding new meaning inside existing text.
We published a book of poetry, art, and writing collected from 2006-2023 and created by incarcerated youth we’ve worked with over the years! IYKYK — one of the most powerful poetry collections out there. 🖤
Support our work by buying it today, link in bio 🔗
UPDATE: We have had so many offers from yall and no longer need furniture!! We are still collecting clothes and shoes (in good condition) and are looking for people who might be able to deliver furniture to a west philly location. DM us if you can help with that 💪 We will also have a cashapp later today for financial support to this young person! DM us for the handle if you are able to provide 🤑🙏
We have a young person being released tomorrow! Help us get him the furniture he needs to settle into his new home! 🏡 Message us on instagram or email [email protected] if you have physical donations to provide. As always you can donate monetarily to YASP through the link in our bio. Thank you in advance!
We are already finishing up month three of 2026, our 20th year as an organization! 👏🎉🙌 Time flies! ⏱️ 2 decades of YASP would not have been possible without support from you 🫵! In honor of our 20th year here are 20 things we are looking forward to in 2026 ‼️
#YASP #2decades #SupportOurYouth #YouthEmpowerment #donate
We are so happy to welcome Stephanie as our interim Director while Sarah is out on parental leave! Stephanie D. Keene is a writer, facilitator, and organizer with over 20 years of experience educating and organizing communities around justice issues. Stephanie’s freedom dream is a world where our collective energy can be used to sustain what has been built rather than resisting what gets in the way of building. In the meantime, she offers her passion and skills to facilitate growth and connections and help us get to a place of greater compassion and capacity to care for ourselves and each other. YASP is thrilled she’s working with us! 🥳
Jet’s family has set up a gofundme to help cover the cost of a proper burial and provide support for his children. Please consider donating and sharing with your networks. You can find the link in our bio.
#LinkinBio
It is with devastating sadness that we share that Jetson Cruz, our Creative Arts Co-Coordinator and a longtime YASP team member, was killed this past weekend.
Jet loved YASP and YASP forever loves Jet. He was a radiant light in this world, a joy to be around, and a tireless cheerleader for our young people. Jet cared deeply and he showed up hard for our young people, always offering a listening ear and whatever support he could. He was a fierce advocate for the world all young people deserve, and he worked every day to make that real. Jet was deeply loved by the young people in our workshops at MOD3 and JJSC, and his mentorship and belief in them helped them to envision a world where they control their own destinies. Yesterday our staff delivered the news of Jet’s death to our workshop participants and one of them reflected: “He was a person you could go to when nobody has your back…he will forever be in our hearts.”
Jet was an inspiration to all of us, every day. The world is far less bright today without him. We already miss his infectious smile, his love of cheesy souvenirs, and his endless commitment to being a pillar of support to the people around him.
This fall, Jet and his partner welcomed a beautiful baby girl into this world. Our hearts break for them both and for his whole family.
Rest in power and peace, our brother. We will do everything in our power to honor your memory and carry on your legacy. Today, in honor of Jet, support the young people in your life, drink a red bull, and smile. ✈️🤍🕊️
Jet’s family has set up a gofundme to pay for a proper burial and support his children, please consider donating and sharing. #LinkinBio
Ending the year full of gratitude for our staff, our youth leaders, and the collective care that makes this work possible. From our YASP family to yours 🌟☃️🌟
Visit the link in our bio to donate and keep our work going in 2026!
#YASP #YouthJustice #EOYCampaign #YouthPower #YouthMagic
POV: you saw these memes and now you want to come to our Year-End Celebration on 12/12 at Vox Populi 🥳
We can’t wait to see you there! 🧡
rsvp link in bio
You are warmly invited to join us on Friday, December 12th at Vox Populi (7-9:30pm) for an evening filled with music, creativity, and community. 🎉 As the end of the year arrives, we are excited to celebrate with the people who make YASP’s work possible. At this Year-end Celebration, you will hear from YASP staff, young people, families, and advocates in our larger community about why this work matters so deeply.
Throughout the night we will write letters to incarcerated youth and former program participants, create a collective art piece, share food, dance, and enjoy ourselves! 💌 It’s been a challenging year and we want to create a moment to reconnect, celebrate and dream up what YASP can do in 2026 together.
This celebration is a time to honor nearly two decades of building youth power in Philadelphia. Whether you have been with YASP for years or you are joining us for the first time, we hope you will step into this next chapter with us. Your presence and your belief in young people help make the dream possible! 🧡
Please RSVP and give to our End-of-Year Campaign (both links in bio) if you’re able. We look forward to a night full of joy, connection, meaningful celebration, and dreaming up a magical 2026 together! 💫
Black Box Presents: YASP Year-End Celebration | December 12, 2025 | Doors at 7PM | Free to Attend
In Partnership with Youth Art & Self-empowerment Project!
Celebrate with the Youth Art & Self-empowerment Project! Create, connect, and recommit to build a world free of youth incarceration at YASP’s Year-End Celebration and Fundraiser.
Please join us for YASP's Year-End Community Celebration at Vox Populi on Friday, December 12th, 7-9:30pm.
It will be an evening filled with artmaking, appetizers, music, and community to honor the impact of YASP’s work. Join us to send letters and love to our incarcerated community members, support our advocacy campaign to end the practice of prosecuting children as adults, and create a collaborative art piece that envisions a world free of youth incarceration.
(@yasprojectphilly ) design by @belsh_
