What advice do you have for people that want to help their community in a creative way?

San Francisco? A great place to do the kind of work you're interested in!

Start by having ten conversations with people interested in arts and education. Where to start?

Go to the Exploratorium and ask to speak to a volunteer coordinator. Ask her/him why s/he does what s/he does and how s/he got into it. Say what you're interested in, and ask for advice. Ask for introductions to a couple more people, and then go talk to them.

Do the same with, maybe, an art teacher at your local school. Another possible lead might be the volunteer coordinator at a childrens' hospital, or the minister at a local church with a reputation for social activism.

I promise you, nine out of ten people you ask will give you fifteen minutes. You'll get to know some great

Hi Elizabeth,

Nonprofit organizations are great vehicles for encouraging and facilitating creativity in your community. If you're interested in engaging with your community to promote creative services, then I'd first suggest you seek out volunteer opportunities. A great resource for active public arts projects includes the National Endowment for the Arts and ArtPlace. Both are institutions that fund national and local art initiatives that are making a change in the country. You can view the organizations they support and see which ones are near you, and then find a way to get involved with them. You can also use websites like Idealist, VolunteerMatch, and Young Nonprofit Professionals Network to see what kinds of organizations have volunteer opportunities or events in the arts and culture space. Additionally, there are tried and true organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and YMCA that all have arts volunteer opportunities that allow you to serve children as well. Second, I would recommend building a relationship through your volunteer work with the organization that you choose to volunteer your time and skillset. The relationship you build will yield trust and increasing opportunities for service for you to both give and feel like you're making a significant impact.

Contact your local art museum and community centers. Perhaps a children's hospital or museum.