Eye Discover’s 2025 Year in Impact
- Ambrosia Brody
- Feb 12
- 3 min read
Like many nonprofits across the U.S., 2025 was a year of navigating change—balancing growth with intention and adapting while staying true to our mission: empowering youth to explore creativity through inclusive, equitable, high-impact Artivism and STEAM education.
This year wasn’t just about bigger numbers; it was about building deeper relationships and empowering more young people across Los Angeles County to see themselves as creators, leaders, and change-makers. From classrooms to community spaces, Eye Discover continued to show up with creativity, care, and purpose—meeting young people where they are and helping them imagine what’s possible.
Here’s what progress looked like in 2025.
Growing the Team Behind the Work
For several years, Eye Discover has been powered by a small but mighty team of three. By the end of 2025, that team grew from three to six dedicated full- and part-time staff members—artists, educators, development team members, and community builders who bring new skills, perspectives, and energy into our work every day. This growth has strengthened our ability to scale programs, deepen partnerships, evolve curriculum, and sustain our operations while strengthening our mission and amplifying our impact.
Expanding Our Reach in Schools
In 2025, Eye Discover expanded into 8+ new school sites, furthering our mission to provide accessible STEAM and Artivism programming to students across Los Angeles County. Each new campus brought its own rhythm, challenges, and needs—and our programs evolved right alongside them.
With input from our youth, we launched 5+ new programs, including The Sustainable Fashion Show at Alliance B Tech High School, and expanded The Liberation Project to Dodson Middle School through a new partnership with The Love You Don’t See.
As our reach grew, so did our responsiveness. More classrooms became spaces of expression, curiosity, and confidence-building—rooms where students of all ages and backgrounds could explore ideas, develop their voices, and begin to see themselves as leaders and change-makers.
Teaching Through Uncertainty
In 2025, our work unfolded against a backdrop of real and often heavy challenges facing many of the families and communities we serve. Immigration uncertainty, the impact of ICE activity, and broader social stressors showed up in our classrooms as lived experiences for our students.
We adapted our teaching with care and intention, creating learning environments that prioritized emotional safety alongside creativity, adjusting lesson plans to allow space for reflection and expression, and leaning into art and STEAM as tools for processing, storytelling, and resilience.
For some students, it looked like using visual art to name feelings they didn’t yet have words for. For others, it meant collaborative projects that reinforced belonging and collective strength.
Our facilitators met students with empathy, flexibility, and trust, recognizing that learning doesn’t stop during uncertainty, but it does ask us to lead differently. These moments reinforced why culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and community-rooted programming isn’t optional—it’s essential.
Showing Up for Communities
Beyond the classroom, Eye Discover hosted and participated in over 150 community events throughout the year—bringing families, students, and neighbors together through shared experiences of art, learning, and joy.
2025 community highlights included:
Daddy-Daughter Dance
Two Community movie nights
A professional development day for educators
One Paint & Sip community/educators event
Two fundraising events
Participating in multiple community events and presentations
Two art exhibits
Again and again, we were reminded that supporting young people doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens through presence, shared experiences, and community.
The Heart of Our Work: Kids Served
At the center of it all were the hundreds of young people served in 2025, totaling in over 350 students. Each number represents a student who explored a new way of thinking, expressed something personal, or discovered a strength or passion for STEM, art, or social justice they didn’t know they had.
As facilitators, we saw confidence grow. We heard students name themselves as artists, designers, and problem-solvers. We watched young people collaborate, reflect, and imagine futures where they not only belong—but lead.
That’s the impact that stays with us and reminds us why we do this important work.
Looking to 2026
In 2026 our focus remains clear: expanding access, deepening impact, and continuing to build creative spaces where young people feel seen, valued, and empowered. We believe creative learning builds confidence, curiosity, and leadership skills that help students shape their communities and futures.
Thank you to our partners, educators, families, and supporters for being part of this journey. The work continues—and we’re just getting started!
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