Meet the Partners

The Urban Collaborative Project (UCP) is a community capacity-building effort that works to connect residents to upstream services and resources through various action teams and strategic partnerships. UCP aims to build a self-healing community by addressing intersections of health and the built environment in partnership with residents. 

Agency 515: The Social Education Theatre sets the stage for young people and their communities to reclaim voice, power, and possibility for themselves through the healing transformation of creativity. We believe fundamentally in the interdependent relationship between creativity and hope. We believe that restoration, healing and liberation are truly the work of AART.  Our programs and productions promote connectedness, teach healthy coping and problem solving. We work to remove service barriers and restore relational deficiencies while providing tools to identify and support people in need of care. 

Southeast Art Team advocates for amateur and beginning artists in the community because of art’s power to express injustice and cleanse the soul. Too many youths in the community face sexual violence and abuse. Art and volunteering in art ventures rebuilds confidence and saves lives. 

Grioneers, Inc. is a non-profit, community-based organization dedicated to social, economic and environmental consciousness. The group was founded by Dr. LaWana Firyali Richmond, an Afrofuturist and facilitator who specializes in organizational development, change management and public speaking. Her work embodies the transformative power of Ubuntu theory, intertwining Afrofuturism with a commitment to sustainability. Through art, she envisions a future where collective harmony and ecological balance converge, inspiring a world where every individual thrives in interconnectedness.

Established in 2010, Mundo Gardens took root as a powerful community-led garden and social justice organization. Nuestra misión es animar y elevar a la comunídad utilizando nuestra cultura, y consientes de nuestra salud. The goal is to uplift the social determinants of health in our neighborhoods. We want to create positive outcomes through the radical power of our culture. Our approach is steeped in raw cultural experience, embracing the colorful history of our comunidad. We foster relationships with community artistas, local musicians, and revered community elders. Our approach is culturally responsive, inclusive, and empowering. By keeping the neighborhoods healthy and strong we will continue to plant the seeds of resilience, healing, art, nutrition, and love within our community.

The mission of Vision Culture Foundation (VCF) is to serve, empower and uplift our youth and community. VCF is committed to enriching the youth of National City and Southbay San Diego by providing free art and other programs as a way and means to begin the conversation and help connect young people to their healthy passions. Sometimes that’s all the support someone might need to achieve their full potential and live out their dreams. Serve, Empower, Uplift. VFC provides a safe and judgement-free space of blended sub-cultures for the youth in SD to feel seen, heard and supported. Art saves lives. It can be all the difference someone needs to find the spark that inspires them to do great things. Young people aren’t the problem, they’re the solution.

Embrace fashion that makes a difference at The Homegrown Project! Our thrift store is more than just a shop, it's a movement for positive change. Explore a world of zero waste and upcycled fashion that not only elevates your style, but also uplifts the community.

The Chula Vista Yoga Center was founded in 2002 by the Stjerne family. Since then, we have continued serving the Chula Vista Community. Our experienced instructors are committed to making everyone feel comfortable in every class. Whether you are a new student or a long time yoga practitioner, there are variations for everyone. 

South Bay Community Services (SBCS) transforms communities to support the well-being and prosperity of children, youth and families in San Diego County. Through comprehensive and coordinated services and supports, we assist all individuals and communities to reach their fullest potential. Together with our generous supporters and community partners, we provide a variety of services for those in need. 

BLK Box Gallery is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit contemporary art gallery & creative center aiming to uplift South Bay's talent, style, culture, and business. The space was opened to foster direct community and small business/vendor involvement in San Ysidro, CA, while also developing a digital presence reflective of our community. Gaining nonprofit status in 2021, BLK Box Gallery has hosted art shows, album releases, vendor markets, film shoots, and many other community grown events with a local emphasis.

Participating in county and statewide initiatives/campaigns (i.e Vaccinate ALL 58), BLK Box Gallery has established itself as a community resource and collaborative space. Most recently, BLK Box Gallery launched [AR]INK, an augmented reality studio and app development incubator, alongside its mobile gallery & creative center.

Our team of volunteers are hard working digital creatives, musicians, marketing professionals, journeymxn, entrepreneurs and community-minded everyday people.

Mensah Bey, a native of Richmond, VA, currently resides in San Diego, CA, where he explores the interplay between physical and virtual realms through his art practice. He honed his skills and beliefs in the vibrant art scene of Hampton Roads during his graduate studies, earning a Master of Fine Arts in Visual Studies from Norfolk State University, following his Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design from Hampton University. Bey's work is deeply influenced by artists such as Aaron Douglass, Jacob Lawrence, and Charles W. White, as well as the surrealistic concepts of Rene Magritte. Exhibiting nationally, with notable showcases in Los Angeles, California, and New York, Bey has also left his mark through mural productions in Hampton Roads, VA, and more recently in San Diego, CA. His artistic journey has been enriched by diverse experiences such as participating in various Artist Residencies, including RoosterGNN's in Havana, Cuba, Gloucester Artist Residency in Gloucester, VA, and the Bread and Salt IMPACT Artist Residency in Barrio Logan in 2023.

David's Harp Foundation focuses on inspiring and building relationships with youth who openly share their artistic dreams to Artist Mentors who help channel that creativity into effective programming and real opportunity. These relationships are the ripple effects that are not only changing our communities but also the systems our students are navigating.

Jan Carpenter Tucker helps businesses and nonprofit organizations create a brand identity and online presence to promote, educate and inspire through clarity, color, balance and beauty.

The mission of RISE San Diego is to elevate and advance urban leadership through dialogue-based civic engagement, dynamic nonprofit partnerships, and direct training and support to increase the capacity of urban residents to effect meaningful community change.

A Space Designed For The Community, By The Community

Catalyst. Regional resource. And a place to convene a civic and cultural exchange. UC San Diego Park & Market will serve as the intersection of people, ideas, art, and innovation for San Diego.

For more than 135 years, public transit has been serving the San Diego community and helping it thrive. The positive impacts of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) on our communities has been, and will continue to be, far-reaching. There are thousands of MTS employees who keep the fleet of nearly 1,000 vehicles maintained and operating every day. There are hundreds of thousands of people inside those vehicles that depend on transit to be productive. The all-electric Trolleys and near-zero emission buses reduce burdens associated with negative environmental impacts. And there are many more facts that show how our public transit system is a vital component to our region. 

The Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation is a community-based organization that has proudly served our community of Southeastern San Diego for over 30 years. Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation (JCNI) helps Southeastern San Diego residents create the future they envision by embracing their diverse cultures, diversifying entrepreneurship, and creating a competitive workforce. 

Terra Bella Nursery strives to serve everyone from novice backyard gardeners and detail-oriented landscape architects to fellow Green Industry professionals with high quality plant and landscape materials as well as personalized customer service. With several locations across Southern California, Terra Bella Nursery, Inc. is dedicated to providing each of their customers with quality, selection and value.