20 Years of Art & Action
Fuel the next generation of creative health initiatives
In 2006, the UCLA Art & Global Health Center was born from a radical idea: that art can drive health equity, empower marginalized voices, and reduce stigma through bold, creative expression.
As we approach our 20th anniversary next year, we invite you to join us in an unprecedented matching challenge. Thanks to the generosity of the David and Linda Shaheen Foundation, every gift made today—up to $50,000—will be doubled, instantly increasing your impact and helping us expand the reach of our work.
At the heart of our mission is AMP! (Arts-based, Multi-component, Peer-education), our flagship sexual health education initiative developed in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Each year, through AMP!, UCLA students form a Sex Squad, crafting original skits, poems, songs, and dances to perform for their high school peers. Since its founding in 2009, Sex Squad has reached tens of thousands of students across LA with stigma-reducing performances, short films, and workshops. The model has been so impactful that Sex Squads have sprouted up in schools and universities from North Carolina to South Africa.
Access to comprehensive, inclusive sex education is more urgent than ever, especially with the recent changes to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Department of Health and Human Services, both of which have supported the Art & Global Health Center in the past. Young people are navigating a world of misinformation and stigma concerning their bodies, identities, and relationships. The Art & Global Health Center gives them the tools and the language to make informed, empowered decisions.
In addition to supporting AMP!, your gift will directly fuel other transformative programs such as Through Positive Eyes, a global photo-storytelling project by and for people living with HIV and AIDS; Up to Us, a series of short fictional films and sex-ed workshops designed especially for formerly incarcerated youth; and Valentine Toya LeGrand, a Haitian-inspired film and superhero comic book series that advocates for women’s empowerment and mental health.
With your support, we can reach thousands more students and community members with life-changing arts-based programs that spark dialogue, shift culture, and affirm the right to health for all. Together, we’ve built 20 years of impact. Let’s shape the next 20.