SAYS (Sacramento Area Youth Speaks) is a project of the Education Partnership Consortium in the CRESS Center at the University of California at Davis. The purpose of SAYS is to foster creative approaches to literary arts education and literacy development through university school partnerships. To accomplish this, SAYS creates platforms for youth voice, student engagement, and teacher professional development both within and beyond the walls of school. SAYS is the by-product of a partnership for youth voice involving a myriad of stakeholders from the School of Education and Academic Preparation Programs in Student Affairs at the University of California, Davis, the Twin Rivers Unified School District, the Sacramento City Unified School District, Elk Grove Unified School District, the Sacramento Office of Youth Development and the Sierra Health Foundation. This collaborative represents a unique cross-section of individuals, all of whom are drawn to SAYS because of their commitment to improving the way young people throughout the Sacramento region are engaged and educated.