OUR VISION
We see communities unafraid of discussion, of lives unfettered by the crippling fear of violence and of youth who embrace their role as not only future leaders, but people full of potential for positive change. Our current focus is on ending domestic and dating violence among youth and adults, but our plan is to expand our scope for change as our organization grows.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
Animate A Way provides a transformative media arts program for youth, who raise awareness about pressing societal concerns and learn to lead a way forward within their community.
A MISSION IN ACTION
To transform youth, we must be a part of the community and show them how they are a part of the community as well. Our mission statement to transform youth begins with us an organization reaching out to the students as individuals, tapping into their confidence to make them an ambassador of peace and goodwill that continues the mission to end violence throughout their lives.
OUR GOALS
- To create youth advocates
- To build the confidence and self-efficacy of our youth
- To lead an engaging and fun after school program
- To provide career level film making and animation skills to youth
- To serve underprivileged areas of San Diego County
- To build community within the areas that we work
OUR HISTORY
Animate A Way (AAW) started under the name Girls! Camera! Action! (GCA) in the Summer of 2012, when founder Karla Duarte sought out stop-motion animator Steven Topham to create an after school program that would not only give students a safe a productive place to learn, but that would grow beyond the classroom. GCA became a program under the AAW umbrella in order to provide our services to all students and to be properly placed to face other potential issues that may face our communities beyond domestic violence. From the start, we have received fantastic support from local, national and international organizations. The strength of our mission was fully reinforced when the State Farm Youth Advisory Board provided us with nearly $87,000 in grant funding in 2013, that provided us with a firm foundation. In 2014, AAW incorporated and began the 501c3 process. The organization is now beginning to grow beyond the classroom and become the community presence that we aim to be.
THE BOARD
Our board is currently made up of young professionals who reflect the youth oriented energy of our organization. We are also very diverse, coming from many different countries, speaking many different languages, but holding one clear vision for the prosperity of our current home and community of San Diego. Our diversity reflects the communities that we work in, where the true melting pot nature of our city comes to life. We are not all filmmakers and we are not all businesspeople, but together, we form a strong team with the skills needed to creatively address the problems that our community faces.