Currently Covid-19 has caused a temporary in-person closure of classes. Please be patient as we continually access the situation. 1:1 tutoring and small group is available.

Thank you for you patience!

Staff:

Christina Taylor - Director

Moria McAfee - Enrichment Mentor

Maya Hubbard - Administrative Assistant

Jabali Taylor-Alvarado - Tutor

Christina Taylor, Executive Director of Urban Arts Youth, has studied dance styles since the age of two, including Ballet, Jazz, Tap, World Dance, and Hip-Hop. Ms. Taylor received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Multicultural Education from Sonoma State University and began working as a Program Coordinator for at-risk youth early in her career. Currently, Ms. Taylor is working on her Master's Degree in Teaching at William Jessup University and is due to graduate in Spring 2021.

Over the years, Ms. Taylor has taught Kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as Community College courses. This experience has given her the opportunity to work with a variety of families and scholars throughout the years. During her 20-year journey, Ms. Taylor trained in Behavioral Management and worked specifically with children on the Autism spectrum. This training has allowed Ms. Taylor to serve in In-Home Behavioral Services and as a Special Education Aide. Additionally, Ms. Taylor has homeschooled her own two children; one has graduated from high school and will graduate for University in Fall 2021. The other has started Middle School and is currently in the 6th grade.

Ms. Taylor created Urban Arts Youth to provide scholars with room to create, question, explore, and grow in an environment that strengthens their academic skills.

Moria McAfee has been a tutor for 8 years and a classroom teacher for 6 years. Ms. McAfee graduated from UC Davis with two Bachelor’s degrees: one in English, with a focus in 20th Century Literature, and another in History, with a focus on European history and 16th Century medicine. Ms. McAfee’s passion is to teach scholars to find their voice and use their writing to convey their thoughts clearly regardless of which subject they are discussing, be it history, science, or literature.

Ms. McAfee’s favorite author and/or book shifts from week to week depending on what she is reading at the time. Some of her favorites are: Fahrenheit 451, 1984, Little Women, The Sound & the Fury, Pride & Prejudice, House of the Spirits, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, all works of Shakespeare, and Canterbury Tales.

History is a life long passion for Ms. McAfee; she can never quite get enough information about those who came before us and the lives they lived. Ms. McAfee hopes to help make history come alive for scholars; to try and connect in some tangible way with the people they read about in the pages of history books. Ms. McAfee likes to remind people – history is not just facts or stories, but the lives of real people who felt, thought, and lived in vastly different times. Some of those lives may have changed the world dramatically, but many more changed it in small, subtle ways simply by living. History is a living subject because we are still creating it today.

Ms. McAfee hopes to instill three passions into scholars: Research, reading, and writing.

Maya Hubbard is a professional administrative assistant with 15+ years of experience in customer service and executive level support. Ms. Hubbard graduated from MTI College with a Legal Administrative Assistant diploma. She has been involved with Urban Arts Youth since the beginning of the program and officially joined the team this year. Ms. Hubbard is excited to participate in the growth and enrichment of young minds.

Jabali Taylor-Alvarado is a student at William Jessup University, majoring in Digital Communication and Art & Media Design. Jabali enjoys teaching the beautiful art of animation, fine art drawing, and computer graphics to young scholars. He has a passion for Japanese animation, art, and culture, and one day wishes to travel to Japan and experience the culture first-hand.