Jason Mateo - Youth Speaks Program Director
Written by Ms. Confuse on Sunday, March 30, 2008
Jason Mateo is currently Youth Speaks’ Program Director, producing youth events such as --The For the Words Series, Bringing the Noise Series, and the Annual Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam. Jason Mateo also facilitates the direction and evaluations of Youth Speaks’ Free After–School workshop programs. This is a role that Jason Mateo has grown into since he first got involved with Youth Speaks in 1996. At 16, his High School teacher and big sister, encourage him to participate in the Youth Speaks’ Teen Poetry Slam, where he was introduce to the Spoken Wor(l)d as Kreative Dwellah. Since, then he has traveled the world facilitating workshops, co-developed SPOKES, the Youth Speaks Youth Board, and has performed in numerous of locations in front of thousands. Growing from the SPOKES Coordinator, to Outreach Coordinator, to Outreach Director and into his position now as Associate Programs Director, Jason Mateo has dedicated 10 passionate and amazing years to Youth Speaks.
Inspired by the community of Youth Speaks, Jason Mateo formed a Spoken Word Group called 8th Wonder. Birthed out of Bindlestiff Studios, the epicenter for Pilipino and Pilipino American Arts, 8th Wonder is committed to reflect on Pilipino and Pilipino American experiences, relearn Pilipino traditions and culture and from this research, regain an understanding of immigration, arts, language, and family to fuel their writing and performance. 8th Wonder has performed within the college circuit, visiting campuses in N. California, S. California, Chicago, Seattle, Ohio all the way to the University of the Philippines.
On a solo, Jason Mateo has taken his skills influenced by Youth Speaks and energy he nurtures from 8th Wonder, to showcase his talents in classrooms and stages internationally such as Bosnia, Philippines, and Japan.
As Youth Speaks is expanding throughout the country Jason Mateo is put in a position of leadership in developing Youth Speaks Hawaii and the Brave New Voices network.
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