OUR MISSION
Coyote Central sparks creativity in young people, putting tools in their hands to build skills and forge their futures.
OUR VISION
An equitable world powered by curiosity, creativity, and collaboration.
OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY
Coyote Central strives to lead with equity in everything we do. We acknowledge that our communities have been adversely affected by longstanding white supremacy and privilege, creating barriers in access to creative opportunities for low-income communities, immigrant and refugee communities, and communities of color. We aim to dismantle these barriers by engaging diverse voices in our decision-making processes and continually pursuing new knowledge about equity.
We start with a racial equity lens but also address inequity in income, gender identity, culture, language, ability, and any other oppression that our community might experience.
Our efforts to date include:
implementing a Youth Advisory Board to prioritize student voice across the organization;
conducting talkback sessions and surveys with students and parents to amplify community voice;
adjusting our registration process to reserve spots for harder-to-reach populations;
diversifying our teaching artists, staff, and board members to reflect the diverse identities of our students;
providing trainings for our teaching artists on racial equity, micro-aggressions, conflict resolution, restorative justice, gender pronouns, and strategies for supporting youth on the autism spectrum and ESOL students; and
supporting an Equity & Inclusion Task Force (EITF) made up of students, parents, teaching artists, board, and staff.
We will continue to approach our equity work with respect, humility, and accountability, and with an organization-wide commitment to doing better.
OUR VALUES
We believe in…
YOUTH IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT | It is the heart of what we do. We count on self-reliance to fuel curiosity and creativity.
FEARLESS EXPLORATION | We trust the process of taking creative risks. There is no one path and no one right answer.
REALIZING POTENTIAL | We rely on challenges and high stakes to encourage surprising outcomes and self-discovery.
EXPERTS AND BEGINNERS SIDE BY SIDE | We thrive in collaborative spaces where everyone is an equal partner in learning.
MAGNETIC CONNECTIONS | Our collective success is built on listening, powerful relationships, and igniting one another’s strengths.
HAVING FUN | Creativity is contagious. Spread the joy.
OUR COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS
Being part of the Coyote community looks like: welcoming all and building connections; respecting others and yourself; working together to keep the equipment, space, and everyone safe; working your hardest on projects with energy, focus, and determination; taking creative risks without hesitiation.
WHAT MAKES COYOTE CENTRAL UNIQUE
APPLIED LEARNING THROUGH SKILLS-BASED WORKSHOPS
Students apply and strengthen knowledge of core academic material through hands on projects
Woodshop: measurement, math, geometry, weight balance, 2D + 3D thinking
Glass Flameworking: combustion reactions, temperature, melting points, viscosity
Video Game Production: programming, language, 2D + 3D thinking
The list goes on!
SUPPORTING UNIQUE AND EVER-CHANGING IDENTITIES OF YOUTH
By keeping kids in the driver’s seat, students are able to learn through curiosity and produce work that they are proud of and solely responsible for.
Students develop skills in perseverance, time management, communication and social emotional learning.
Small class sizes ensure that ALL learners are integrated and have a chance to learn, create, and discover just how much they’re capable of.
At Coyote kids get to be exactly who they are without stigma.
FAMILY TESTIMONIALS
Their student struggles in school and feels chastised for their presumed shortcomings // At Coyote they feel celebrated for their strengths.
Their student struggles with social emotional and behavioral norms when entering middle school // Coyote teamed up with parents and classroom teachers to make a support plan that included challenging the student up vs. a punitive approach.
Their student struggled to find success in other programs accommodating different learning needs // Coyote works to determine her individual needs and helps create a community in which she can be herself and thrive. She comes back multiple times every year.
Their student feels they can not only be 100% who they are at Coyote, but that they’ll also be embraced because of it!
YOU CAN’T GET IT ANYWHERE ELSE
Students access specialized mediums and professional equipment that is typically reserved for adults.
By exploring unique mediums and building projects designed by and for themselves, kids are able to see just what they’re capable of!
The BIG PUSH FOR EQUITY
By maintaining a strong partnership with schools for in-classroom recruiting, we ensure that we reach students from all backgrounds and incomes.
Coyote helps kids connect across difference through a common medium.
By connecting kids from all over the city in a common place with professional tools, kids are able to shed old ways of being or labels that they might be associated with at school.