The Imagine Bus Project Gala: Break Walls Open Doors raised nearly $200,000 to help shatter the cycle of teen incarceration on April 27, 2017. Author Nell Bernstein (Burning Down the House: The End of Juvenile Prison) received The Imagine Bus Project Golden Wings award for her efforts to transform the lives of youth and bring attention to America’s failed juvenile justice system. Some 88 guests gathered for the event and learned about how The Imagine Bus Project brings arts education and positive role models to incarcerated teens around the Bay Area.
The Battery club in San Francisco served not only as the gala event venue but also donated $337,000 to The Imagine Bus Project through its Battery Powered grantmaking program. Those funds helped launch Arts on the Outs a 9-month pilot reentry program aimed at youth released from juvenile institutions.
The celebratory evening also saluted teens who gave firsthand reports of their experience with The Imagine Bus Project program. Special guest Jennifer Siebel Newsom, founder of The Representation Project, expressed her alignment with TIBP mission to empower and help youth realize their hopes and dreams.
Scenes from The Imagine Bus Project Gala: Break Walls Open Doors:
Photos by Nathan DeHart Photography