Learn More About Create Now!
We help kids in trouble turn their lives around
Create Now! changes the lives of high-risk and at-risk youth through creative arts mentoring, resources and opportunities.
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Our History
Founder Jill Gurr felt a need to make a difference in the world. In 1994, she began a Screenwriting Workshop at Optimist Youth Homes, a boys' detention center in Eagle Rock, CA. She spent several months writing a screenplay with a group of these kids who were incarcerated for a variety of crimes.
After the workshop, Jill discovered that many of the boys who were illiterate had learned how to read and write through her program, while others wanted to go back to school or enter college. One tough Chicano gang leader who had initially resisted the workshop ended up having tattoos removed from his neck and hand. Seeing the incredible impact of this program, in 1995, Jill initiated a second Screenwriting Workshop, this time at a coed detention facility called Pride House in Van Nuys, CA and saw the same results. Kids who had been illiterate learned how to read and write, others went back to school or applied to college.
Delighted with the results, Jill shared her experience with a friend, Erika Clark, and realized that there were probably many other people that wanted to make a difference by mentoring these kids. Since she had learned so much about "the system," wouldn't it be great if she could help others find youth to mentor so that they could reach more young people. Erika called Jill the following week to report that Leslie Stevens, her producing professor at the American Film Institute, was so impressed by Jill's idea and passion to help these high-risk youth that he was giving her a $5,000 donation to start a nonprofit organization.
The organization, initially named Write Now!, was founded in October 1996 with the mission to teach literacy through different forms of creative writing. Soon after, it became apparent that many of these kids preferred to express themselves through other forms of creativity, such as music and art. In 1998, the organization's official name was changed to Create Now! and we've been helping thousands of troubled youth ever since. Our logo, the hand with all the colors, represents the many diverse youth we serve.
TIMELINE:
1994 Jill Gurr initiates a screenwriting workshop at Optimists Youth Home for 15-25 teenage boys and saw kids previously illiterate, learn to read and write.
1995 Jill initiates a second workshop at Pride House, a coed detention facility in Van Nuys and found similar results in improving literacy and inspiring youth to change their lives.
1996 Leslie Stevens from the American Film Institute gives a $5,000 donation to start Write Now! as a nonprofit organization.
1997 Write Now! initiates a number of creative writing mentoring programs at Central Juvenile Hall and Mid-Valley Youth Center.
1998 Organization changes its name to Create Now! to include more comprehensive arts programming – adding Music, Art and Cultural Excursions, bringing multiple art disciplines to youth. Initiated several successful programs in Orlando, which lasted until 2002.
1999 Create Now! sponsors an art, music and poetry Talent Show for 220 incarcerated boys. The organization is featured in the "Malibu Surf Side News." We coordinate a TV Sit-Com Workshop that culminates in a visit for 15 kids from Mid-Valley Youth Center to a taping of “That 70’s Show,” where they get to meet the stars. The Geffen Playhouse begins a long alliance of donating tickets to their performances for our youth.
2000 Create Now! serves 1,000 youth throughout Los Angeles. We begin a long-standing partnership with the ShowBiz Expo, where our youth find opportunities for internships and jobs in the entertainment industry. The "Daily Variety" features us and the "Los Angeles Times" publishes an extensive article on the organization in the “Westside Weekly” section. We start a beneficial collaboration with the House of Blues where we invite dozens of our youth to attend their annual Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration.
2001"California Lawyer" features Create Now! student Darontay McClendon in an article. Darontay debuts in the movie “Gang Tapes” and is nominated for two awards. Two of our students get to attend the popular E3 Expo at the Convention Center.
2002 "Back Stage West" highlights Create Now! for volunteer opportunities. Mark Schulman begins presenting his motivational drumming seminars with his mentee Michael Monroe (a.k.a “KL") at detention facilities.
2003 Create Now! expands to Orange, San Bernadino and Riverside counties to serve more youth and be able to match more mentors with youth in their communities. We sponsor a Christmas Art Contest at Children’s Institute. Cirque du Soleil donates 900 tickets to troubled youth in Los Angeles. We served 540 youth for the year.
2004 Create Now! impacts over 5,000 youth through visual and creative arts programming. The organization expands to include Ventura and Kern counties. One student, Tasha, graduates from USC Film School. Cirque du Soleil donates 800 tickets to troubled youth in Orange County. We reach 1,800 more youth.
2005 Jill Gurr, founder of Create Now! is featured on "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams" as one of the first people in their “Making a Difference” series. "The Hollywood Reporter" publishes an article on our organization. Create Now! partners with Cirque du Soleil bringing over 1,000 tickets to youth. Our first fundraising benefit at The Improv in Hollywood raises essential money for our services, as comedians like Carlos Mencia, Pablo Francisco, Debra Wilson Skelton, Tony Rock and others entertain the crowd. We reach 1,700 more youth.
2006 Create Now! celebrates over 10 years of serving high-risk and at-risk youth. We receive a grant to bring on second staff member, Director of Development, Robin Garfield. The organization collaborates with Yahoo! to bring 200 homeless youth to the Opening Night at the Hollywood Bowl, and with STAPLES Center to coordinate mural paintings and ticket donations with six different facilities for troubled youth in downtown Los Angeles, for their “Miles of Smiles” program. The Promenade Playhouse in Santa Monica sponsors a fundraising benefit, “L.A. Street Scenes,” that features original work by youth in our writing program. Cultural Excursions expand to include Ford Amphitheatre, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Huntington Library and the Norton Simon Museum. We reach 2,650 additional youth.
2007 Create Now! reaches over 11,000 youth since its inception. Create Now! is featured on CNN’s "Anderson Cooper 360°." Founder Jill Gurr is honored by the Simon Wiesenthal Center in their new exhibit “Everyday Heroes” at the Museum of Tolerance, launching in November. We reach over 3,000 youth to date, the most ever served in one year.