Our Mission

We’ve been a home away from home for thousands of young people for two decades.

Twenty-two years ago, Destiny Arts Center’s founders had a dream: to create a place where young people could learn to prevent violence in their lives. And to end the isolation and prejudice that so often leads to that violence.

We accomplish this mission by providing financially accessible dance, theater, martial arts, violence prevention and youth leadership classes taught by professional-level instructors after school at our center, schools and community centers.

• Recruiting and training youth of color, primarily from low and moderate-income Oakland and East Bay communities;
• Providing youth with trained and caring adult mentors;
• Supporting youth in developing an individualized sense of artistic expression;
• Creating opportunities for youth to share a message of peace and empowerment;
• Nurturing the physical, emotional, and spiritual development of young people in a safe, inclusive environment.

Our students tell us that Destiny makes a difference in their lives: 75% participate more positively in their academic lives and extracurricular activities. 60% of Project Destiny students and 90% of on-site students use the tools we teach them to resolve conflict without resorting to violence. We believe these young people create a ripple effect in their schools, homes, and community, spreading the love, respect, care, responsibility, honor, and peace of the Destiny Warrior’s Code as they move through their lives.