“We want them to know that they have value, that their stories have value, that their voices have value, that their own way of speaking or writing has value, and that we deeply care about that,” Chavez said. “We care so much that we will bring in all these mentors and actors and a sound designer. We will bring this bevy of adults who care about their expression and that gives them the confidence to take what they’ve learned from our program and apply it to another class.”