Jean Teodoro

Peer Leader, Balboa High School

"Jean Teodoro, from hereafter known as JT, is a poetic warrior for their community. Through their art and community organizing background JT builds the skills, knowledge, and capacity of Bay Area student's creative writing skills. In addition to working with young people they have utilized their voice via spoken word by speaking truth to power, advocating for human rights, and inspiring others to take action towards social justice issues locally and globally. JT was a Balboa Peer Leader, served as a poet mentor at Youth Speaks, and was an activist for youth in the Excelsior District, while now organizing efforts around City College."

Jean (JT) Teodoro is a community organizer, poet, educator and event producer. They were born and raised in Quezon City, Philippines, and raised in the Bay Area. They are currently part of an initiative to build a mass organization dedicated to Filipino youth and students in San Francisco. They are also supporting local and global causes like student initiatives to address class & budget cuts at City College of San Francisco, and protecting the rights and welfare of indigenous peoples and their ancestral lands in the Philippines. Some of their current projects include a graphic poetry book, a hip-hop album, and an album with their hip-hop & rock band Boondock Squad. They operate and instruct a program called 'Bayanihan Boxing', with a focus on mental and communal health. They also periodically work as a creative writing instructor and event producer.

"My focus on working with local youth has always been to address issues of equity. Many students have not been provided an equitable amount of resources and time to learn about the the fair and objective history of their community--whether it is the history of working class communities, of women, of third world countries, and of other marginalized identities. I am also intentional about the equity of voice: whose voices are more often promoted and heard, and whose voices are constantly silenced. This focus should not only fall on the responsibility of classrooms, but on media, contemporary culture, family households and many other institutions.

"I also recognize how precious the time and labour of both youth and educators are. I think it’s important for youth to engage in programs that are relevant, exciting and purposeful to them. I think that educators need to be better supported in providing the right kind of programs that students need. For example: numerous youth from working class communities have in many forms told me that the national student debt crisis, the military industrial complex & intensified recruitment of young adults, the prison industrial complex, gentrification and issues of affordability & equity in San Francisco are all topics that relate strongly to them.

"My approach to providing relevant, exciting and purposeful programs is to focus on activities that help youth envision solutions or innovations to many aspects of their lives--from their values, where they’re interested in working, how they hope their family could grow, where they’re dedicating their time each week, to what their hoping to provide for their community. I put an emphasis on making sure that youth are seen and heard – and that they can imagine themselves being part of something important.

"As a community organizer, I facilitate educational discussions, I support youth in being part of campaigns and actions that they care about, and I help provide a home base that they can feel like they belong in. As a poet, I create pieces, stories, songs and other forms of writing that illustrate subjects and perspectives that are urgent, necessary and interesting. As an educator, I focus on building skills that are valuable and applicable. For example: in my boxing program, I show my participants how our exercises relate to healthier decision making, presence of mind, and ways to manage anxiety. I also teach principles that are not only useful for the sport, but translatable to other life situations."

Jean (JT) Teodoro