Chapter 510 & the Dept. of Make / Believe

Directions Website Contact the organization

Chapter 510 & the Dept. of Make / Believe Chapter 510 connects youth to the power of their stories. We provide a safe space for youth to bravely write, centering Black, brown and q***r voices.

MISSION
Chapter 510 is a made-in-Oakland youth writing, bookmaking & publishing center. Our teaching artists and volunteers work side by side with educators to provide a safe space and supportive community so Black, brown, and q***r youth ages 8-19 can bravely write. VISION
We want every young person in Oakland to write with confidence and joy. WHY WE EXIST
We believe that writing is an act of liberation. When young people write and get published, they transform themselves and their communities, succeeding in school, work, and life. WHAT WE DO
Through writing programs at our center and within Oakland public schools, we help young people improve their writing craft, confidence, and competency at every stage. Our programs include free writing and bookmaking workshops, field trip opportunities for OUSD educators, in-school book projects, youth publishing opportunities, and First Friday literary events. Chapter 510 currently works with over 1,000 students per year and publish over 20 beautifully made books written by Oakland youth each year.

Thank you to everyone who came and made Litquake an afternoon to remember!And a special thanks to our incredible lineup ...
10/16/2026

Thank you to everyone who came and made Litquake an afternoon to remember!

And a special thanks to our incredible lineup of performers. Kristal Raheem, who set the stage and led us through the event with presence and care. Our Youth Speak Poets—Madisen and Aisha, who kicked us off beautifully reading their original works. And our Chapter 510 teaching artist Belinda whose performance brought us into a powerful space of reflection.

Thank you to Mahogany, who not only captivated us with her readings, but shared powerful insights about what it means to carry truth and how Oakland was a place that grew this practice in her.

“Oakland taught me to spread your roots, and take the truth wherever you can.”

The Bay Area is rich with artists, storytellers, and changemakers. This evening perfectly encapsulated that spirit. Thank you all!

Last week Chapter 510 joined the Port of Oakland for their Mental Health and Wellness day at the Oakland airport! ✈️✨A s...
10/15/2026

Last week Chapter 510 joined the Port of Oakland for their Mental Health and Wellness day at the Oakland airport! ✈️✨

A special shoutout to the Port of Oakland’s HR team for creating such a joyful space that values well-being. It was wonderful to spend the afternoon alongside local organizations facilitating activities that promoted wellness, as well as Oakland airport staff who brought an infectious joy and radiance to the event.

And what better way to celebrate wellness than youth-penned poetry! Folks lined up for an appointment with the Poetry Doctor and the prescriptions were as joyful and healing as ever. We loved seeing so many staff members express gratitude, joy, and creativity through their poetry responses. 💊📝💫

We are proud to partner with organizations like the Port of Oakland and their HR team, who emphasize the importance of creating space to prioritize our wellbeing. 🌿💛

10/13/2026

As the Oakland Roots close out their home season, we’re celebrating with a poem from Chapter 510 young author Juniper Gonzalez!

In her poem, Juniper captures not only the energy of the game, but the community and excitement the sport brings.

Find Juniper’s poem and more writing from Oakland’s young authors in WHEN THE STARS BLOOM IN OAKLAND, available at the link in our bio!

Last month, our Westlake Middle School writers celebrated the book release of their group publication, Nice Life, More B...
10/09/2026

Last month, our Westlake Middle School writers celebrated the book release of their group publication, Nice Life, More Becoming. 📚✨

This anthology of poetry and prose was the final project of our Westlake creative writing and bookmaking program during the 25-26 school year.

The anthology was published as a limited edition run of 100 books, each one handmade by our book arts teacher Anna. The book was illustrated by local children's book author and illustrator Rob Trujillo with a foreword written by Pour-Khorshid, professor at the University of San Francisco.

The celebration took place at the Westlake Middle School library. Student authors signed copies of the book and answered questions about their stories. The event concluded with a few of our student authors on the mic reading their work in their home languages.

For many of our authors, this was their first experience with creative writing and book arts. They entered an unfamiliar space with remarkable bravery, and completed the program with a newfound joy in writing and a pride in the stories only they could tell.💛🌱

This Friday Litquake Literary Festival comes to Chapter 510!Take a breather between the busy school week and the weekend...
10/07/2026

This Friday Litquake Literary Festival comes to Chapter 510!

Take a breather between the busy school week and the weekend ahead and join us for an afternoon of creativity and reflection.

Poet, playwright, and educator Mahagonay L. Browne will read from her National Book Award–longlisted collection of stories and poems.

Joining her will be a reading from Chapter 510 poet and Teaching Artist Belinda Bellinger, with opening performances by Youth Speaks Poets Madisen Wofford and Aisha Rae McCulloch.

Followed by a conversation around creativity, healing, and resilience moderated by Divine Radiance guest Kristal Raheem. Alie Jones will not be at the event because she received an amazing opportunity to attend a rest retreat for Black women but she has been a key curator for the event.

📍 Location: 546 9th St, Oakland, CA 94607
📅 Date: October 9th, 2026
⏰ Time: 4:30–5:30pm. Doors open at 4pm.

Register now through the link in our bio and visit our website to learn more about our guests.

We are thrilled to announce that our Executive Director Janet Heller is a recipient of the 2026 Alameda County Arts Lead...
10/05/2026

We are thrilled to announce that our Executive Director Janet Heller is a recipient of the 2026 Alameda County Arts Leadership Award!

She joins eight arts leaders recognized for their achievements and contributions positively impacting the Alameda County arts community.

The celebration will be held during the Board of Supervisors’ meeting on Tuesday, October 6, from 3:00-4:30 pm.

Join us in celebrating a well-deserved recognition for Janet. Janet is currently on sabbatical through the end of the year and our board member and secretary Dorothy Lazard will accept the award on her behalf.

Thank you Janet for the tremendous impact you have had on the Bay Area arts community!

Learn more about the Alameda County Arts Commission’s Arts Leadership Award here: https://arts.alamedacountyca.gov/arts-leadership-award-program/

There’s still time to sign up for our teen programs in partnership with Divine Radiance and Youth Speaks! ✨Are you a you...
10/02/2026

There’s still time to sign up for our teen programs in partnership with Divine Radiance and Youth Speaks! ✨

Are you a young writer, poet, or performer? Join us for Youth Speaks x Chapter 510 Afterschool Workshops. Storytellers ages 13–19 are invited to create new work, share their perspectives, and connect with other young artists in Oakland. $200 stipends are available to participants who attend all 3rd Wednesday workshops this fall. Stipends are limited.

Looking for creative mentorship? Register for Divine Radiance, a program designed for Black girls and gender-expansive youth in Oakland. Selected participants will receive a $500 stipend and a free copy of PRIDE by Ibi Zoboi.

Visit the link in our bio to learn more about each program and register!

Nassor At-Thinnin Gant was 11 when he participated in our single author chapter book workshop.Nassor had already been sk...
10/01/2026

Nassor At-Thinnin Gant was 11 when he participated in our single author chapter book workshop.

Nassor had already been sketching and working on a character called “Sonar,” who he created after feeling his favorite media lacked representation for characters that looked like him and that he could relate to.

Not long after SONAR’s publication, Nassor visited the Philippines with his family where they partnered with an organization that provided resources to students — one of them being a copy of SONAR. The students enjoyed the book so much that Nassor led a class through drawing and writing a comic book.

Nassor is now a Sophomore at University of Riverside California majoring in African-American studies, while also pursuing Film and Screenwriting. Nassor has remained a writer, with a passion for uplifting perspectives that are often overlooked in society

As we continue to celebrate ten years of Chapter 510, it has been incredible to see our youth writers grow up to harness the power of their own stories to advocate for themselves, Oakland, and the world. ✨

🔗 Visit the link in our bio and read more about Nassor’s journey connecting to the power of his stories.

We’re pleased to announce that Chapter 510 was selected as a recipient of the NBCUniversal Local Impact Grant! This gran...
09/29/2026

We’re pleased to announce that Chapter 510 was selected as a recipient of the NBCUniversal Local Impact Grant!

This grant recognizes non-profit organizations making a difference in their communities through innovative programs and local engagement.

We are so grateful for NBCUniversal’s support of programs that enable Oakland youth to harness the power of their own stories to advocate for themselves, Oakland, and the world.

Thank you NBCUniversal for your recognition and for championing the power of youth voices!

We’re thrilled to announce Gretchen Carvajal as our speaker 🦋🎤 Guest host: Isa Nakazawa isa 🪷 🎟️Registration is open n...
09/29/2026

We’re thrilled to announce Gretchen Carvajal as our speaker 🦋

🎤 Guest host: Isa Nakazawa isa 🪷
🎟️Registration is open now!
🗓️ Friday October 9
☕️ Doors at 8:30, talk starts at 9
📍 Chapter 510

Gretchen Carvajal is a poet, educator, and multidisciplinary artist whose work traces the interconnectedness between the Philippine archipelago and the Bay Area communities that shaped her. Working across poetry, jewelry, printmaking, film, facilitation, and digital pedagogy, her practice investigates how memory, migration, adornment, and collective storytelling shape Filipino American identity across generations. Through her work, she explores how over 7,000 islands can live inside a single household, body, or poem asking what it means to inherit histories carried through water, diaspora, and silence.

Rooted in both personal and communal memory, Carvajal’s work challenges flattening narratives of Asian American identity that prioritize representation without interrogating power, liberation, and solidarity. Influenced and sharpened by generations of Black and Asian writers, artists, and organizers she considers mentors and family, her work seeks honesty over performance honoring her people while asking difficult questions about history, accountability, and collective freedom.

Her work lives at the convergence of the personal and collective, asking how we carry each other across water, memory, and time.

Address

546 9th Street
Oakland, CA
94605

Opening Hours

Thursday 12pm - 4pm
Friday 12pm - 4pm
Saturday 12pm - 4pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Chapter 510 & the Dept. of Make / Believe posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Chapter 510 & the Dept. of Make / Believe:

Shortcuts

Share

Category