Michael O’Bryan, Youth Programs Director

Through the healing power of art, Michael O’Bryan serves as an advocate for human rights and social change in underserved communities. His professional experience touches the worlds of performance art, public health and trauma informed care. Much of his work has centered on amplifying the voices of marginalized populations including: adjudicated youth, youth and families experiencing homelessness, and migrant farm-workers. Project experience includes work with: The Arts and Business Council of The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, WURD Radio, ASTEP, ART180, The University of Miami’s Community and Educational Well-Being Research Center, The US Attorney’s Office for The Eastern District of PA, and Mural Arts Philadelphia. Michael was awarded “Child Advocate of The Year, 2014” for the Philadelphia Region by The Pennsylvania Department of Education for his work assisting youth living in emergency housing and was also named a 2017 National Emerging City Champion by The Knight Foundation and 8 80 Cities. He was most recently selected as an inaugural Urban Innovation Fellow at Drexel University’s Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation for a project that re-imagines workforce development through the lens of behavioral economics and developmental science. Michael currently serves as Director of Youth and Young Adult Programs at The Village of Arts and Humanities and as a consultant on a range of projects, locally and nationally, exploring the intersections of trauma informed practice and community well-being.