Octavia Project

For over a decade, teens in our five-week Summer Institute have asked how we can build more just and joyous futures through workshops & field trips in STEAM and creative writing.

Help us raise $50K by 3/31 for our free programs for Brooklyn youth! Donate now: https://www.octaviaproject.org/support/

‼️ It’s time to double your impact! For the next 24 hours, a generous Octavia Project donor, Robert B., will match every dollar raised—up to $5,000!—for our annual campaign. 

Your gift goes twice as far today. Can you donate now to help us reach $50K by 3/31? https://www.octaviaproject.org/support/

🚨Apply to our Spring Studio Lab today!🚨

The Spring Studio Lab (April 6 – 10) is a ✨free spring break program✨ based in Brooklyn for young women and trans and nonbinary youth in grades 6-8. 

Learn more and apply today: https://www.octaviaproject.org/join-the-octavia-project-spring-studio-lab/

"[This year's fellowship] brought me a lot of comfort in going back to college, it gave me a great opportunity to transition into a learning mindset." 
When youth receive opportunities to see themselves as leaders and critical community members, they can map new paths for themselves and our world.

At the OP, the future is speaking. Through our free STEAM programs—like our Spring Studio Lab w/@brooklynmuseum.org—young creators in Brooklyn are mapping out radical possibilities for our world.

Help us raise $50K by 3/31 to uplift their voices! Donate here: https://www.octaviaproject.org/support/

🤔 What is our community reading 📚

Each summer's participants explore worlds where they can discuss the issues that are important to them, and where they can see themselves as agents of change.

Is there something that you're reading that's making you think? That's giving you hope?

✍️👾Applications for our high school Summer Institute are now open!🎨🏙️

Calling high school aged young women and trans and nonbinary youth ready to explore creatively and learn new skills in a fun, affirming space!

✨Apply today✨
https://www.octaviaproject.org/join-the-octavia-project-summer-institute/

🎉 Meet our Youth Advisory Board 🎊

Together, they have been leading us in:
🌟 building new communications tools to share professional opportunities with fellow alums 
🌟 organizing events to support their peer's career endeavors and foster community
🌟 growing and strengthening our alumni network

🎨We're excited to launch our new Spring Studio Lab for middle schoolers!💻

Do you know any 6-8th graders who like art and writing or are into STEM? Then join us this spring break!

Applications are open! ✨Apply today✨ https://www.octaviaproject.org/join-the-octavia-project-spring-studio-lab/

The future of the city was at the forefront of many New Yorker's minds last summer, and Institute participants developed their visions of how they would lead the city. Across a multi-day urban planning workshop, discussed and envisioned a city where our most marginalized neighbors can thrive.

Last Summer Camp's architecture workshop examined public space —participants explored their lived experiences to create maps of speculative worlds. Urban planning and architecture workshops are essential components of our worldbuilding unit; opening space for participants to dream a more just world.

As the days get longer and we move through the holidays, we hope this season is filled with reflection, celebration, and community 🎉💖 

See you in the new year!

2025 was a transformative year for the us, and we couldn’t do it without your support! 

While our communities have been facing additional challenges, we must also celebrate the joint work it takes to rise above: https://www.octaviaproject.org/2025/12/17/growing-and-transforming-in-2025/

What can history teach us about building spaces of care and liberation?

Last month, we partnered with Storefront for Art and Architecture who hosted a printmaking workshop where participants explored our universal right to safe, warm, welcoming shelter and what it means to be home.

Visit www.octaviaproject.org/support/ to donate and consider supporting our youth development colleagues providing critical resources to our communities here: www.sadienash.org/giving-youth....

#GivingYouthDay #YouthLeadership #CommunityCollaboration

Many of us observed Thanksgiving by reflecting critically on our history, learning about Indigenous resistance, and honoring the joy and the power of community.

Inspired by this, we're partnering this #GivingYouthDay with youth-centered organizations to center collaboration and community care.

This summer, our middle school Camp visited the Pratt Dye Garden for an indigo dyeing workshop. This workshop is an example of how our programs teach science through art, technology and storytelling. Personal connection and creative expression can break down barriers and increase confidence in STEM.

This month we welcomed four young writers to the Constellations Mentorship, where they will work one on one with professional authors from Brooklyn Speculative Fiction Writers to refine a piece of flash fiction, and work towards publication! 

🔮We can't wait to experience their worlds🔭

Inspired by the traditional Indian textile art of kalamkari, Institute participants created artworks sharing stories about themselves and their communities.

After exploring the history of kalamkari, participants engaged the traditional process by using a kalam to draw onto fabric with natural dyes.

🎉 We're thrilled to share that we've received funding from the Stonewall Community Foundation 🎉

The Stonewall Community Foundation funds work that makes differences on issues affecting LGBTQ+ lives.

As queer and trans youth face additional challenges, the Octavia Project is deepening supports.

💭How can natural forms shift into other things we know? Into what we don't yet know?🤔

Summer Camp participants created biomorphic ceramic sculptures of characters or objects in their speculative worlds; transforming nature through abstraction, surrealism, and fantasy!

This summer, Institute participants coded interactive narratives, blending what they learned in our hand on workshops with their own speculative ideas. These games take many 👽speculative shapes👻. Dive into an adventure here: https://www.octaviaproject.org/2025/08/14/twine-games-from-summer-2025/

Two months ago, the Center for Art, Research and Alliances hosted our Summer Showcase where participants shared their writing, artworks, and games with relatives, friends, and OP supporters.

If you’re looking to relive the magic, you can watch the entirety of our Summer Showcase the ✨link in bio✨

🍂It may be fall, but we're thinking back to summer☀️ Our summer of fun, learning, and community could not happen without our Program Assistant who is wearing this cozy sweatshirt from Phenomenal Media.

Thanks for the cute sweatshirts, Phenomenal Media! Our team and participants love them.

🎉 We reached our goal 🎉

With your critical support, we’ll be launching our Youth Advisory Board this fall! We're eager to learn with and from our alums, many who are bearing additional challenges, and deepen our support.

We can’t wait to introduce you to our inaugural board members!

🚨Last day to support our Youth Advisory Board🚨
We’re about $600 away from our goal! 

Help us cross the finish line today! https://donorbox.org/build-our-youth-advisory-board

📣We’ve extended our fundraising deadline to September 12!📣

OP community members like are helping us get our Youth Advisory Board off the ground. Help us raise another $1,750 to expand our programs and add new systems of support for our alums. https://donorbox.org/build-our-youth-advisory-board

‼️ 2 DAYS LEFT!

This fall, we're launching our Youth Advisory Board with alumni from across our 11 years of programming!

We need to raise $6K by 8/29 to launch this alumni leadership initiative. Help us cross the finish line by DONATING NOW! https://donorbox.org/build-our-youth-advisory-board

📣 We have 4 more days to reach our $6,000 goal by 8/29! Together, we can launch our Youth Advisory Board and center the voices of OP alumni! Join us in supporting young leaders like our Teaching Fellows.

👆 Make a gift today and support this critical work through the link in our bio 👆

📣 We're halfway to the $6K we need to fund our new Youth Advisory Board! This leadership initiative will center the voices of OP alumni, including Fellows like Xylon.

Ready to support the next generation? Help us make our goal by 8/29! https://donorbox.org/build-our-youth-advisory-board