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Through arts, culture, and community-based programs—from music and fashion to robotics and service—young people are given the space to explore who they are and who they can become. These experiences build not only skills, but resilience, purpose, and connection.
-Free Minds LA
About Us
Free Minds LA was born from lived experience—from understanding what it feels like to grow
up with potential, but without access. As children of immigrants and members of underserved
communities, we know how it feels to navigate systems that weren’t built with us in mind.
We’ve seen how cultural stigmas can silence conversations around mental health, creativity, and
self-expression—and how often young people are left without the support they truly need.
We created Free Minds LA to change that. We exist to hold space for adolescents—
especially first-generation, LGBTQ+, and underserved youth—so they feel seen,
supported, and empowered. In Los Angeles County, where so many students come
from immigrant households, access to extracurricular programs, creative outlets, and
mentorship is still unequal. We are committed to closing that gap.
Through workshops, field trips, mentorship, and arts-based programming, we provide opportunities that nurture not only academic growth, but confidence, identity, and belonging. We believe in the healing power of creativity—in art, music, storytelling, and culture—as a way for young people to process, express, and grow.
Free Minds LA is a community built on empathy, resilience, and hope. We are here to break barriers, challenge stigma, and remind every young person that their story matters—and that they deserve the opportunity to thrive, create, and lead.
Through workshops, field trips, mentorship, and arts-based programming, we provide opportunities that nurture not only academic growth, but confidence, identity, and belonging. We believe in the healing power of creativity—in art, music, storytelling, and culture—as a way for young people to process, express, and grow.
Free Minds LA is a community built on empathy, resilience, and hope. We are here to break barriers, challenge stigma, and remind every young person that their story matters—and that they deserve the opportunity to thrive, create, and lead.
About Free Minds LA
My passion for this work is deeply personal. Growing up, access to resources like books was limited. I remember sharing what I could or slipping away to the library during breaks, hungry to learn more than what was available to me. That curiosity never left me—it became a driving force. My parents, who immigrated here at a young age, gave everything they had to build a better life for my sister and me. My mother left school after the second grade and worked tirelessly, even buying her own mother a home at just sixteen. My father carried responsibility from a young age as well, balancing work and opportunity, ultimately choosing sacrifice in pursuit of something greater.
When they came to this country, they started with almost nothing—sleeping on floors, multiple jobs, doing whatever it took to survive and create a future. Watching them create better lives for us. They left behind their families, their homes, and everything familiar, driven by hope. They didn’t settle—they couldn’t afford much yet believed in something more. And because of that, they gave us everything they could, I realize now they taught me something I’d never learn in school or anywhere else . A unique “ Don “ of sorts, instilled in desire and crazy belief that I can make a difference. They overcame so much, and thanks to two doors opening a job opportunity that allowed them the power to change our lives. Immensely thankful to Vallarta Supermarket- Gonzales Family , La Costa Restaurant – Arenas Family , and Chateau Briand- Manuel&Gloria for providing my family job security until they were on their feet, cultivating strength and hope . You instilled hope in us to continue to do the same.
I write their story with emotion because I know how rare and powerful it is. Their journey is one of many, yet deeply unique—a reflection of countless families who come here seeking a better life. Through Free Minds LA, I hope to honor those stories. To shift perspectives, challenge misconceptions, and remind people of the strength that lives within struggle.
Life is not without hardship—but we are meant to evolve through it. While we cannot always change our past or circumstances, we can transform how we see them. By sharing real experiences and celebrating diversity, in Los Angeles, we can build stronger, more mindful communities. Creating a future filled with opportunity, resilience, and access to education.
Kindly,
Free Minds L.A. – Y.R.
Free Minds L.A. – Y.R.