Art Programs For 5,000 In-Need New York Children

Dear Arts For All Community,

We hope you all are enjoying the warm weather! As we approach the last days of Spring, it's time to reflect on the great work we did in School Year 2023-2024 and begin planning for the next school year. 

2023-2024 School Year Highlights:

1. As our Artistic Residency Program continues to grow, we were able to provide over 300 in-person workshops to more than 650 students between our school partners PS19, PS163, New Alternatives for Children (NAC), Williamsburg High School of Arts and Tech, Corlears School, Weeksville Elementary and Renaissance Charter School 1 in Jackson Heights. We also welcomed new school partner PS194: County Cullen Academy and introduced puppetry and visual arts workshops to Grades 4 & 5 at PS15!
2. This spring we continued our partnership with Behind the Book as Teaching Artist Marcela Artunduaga worked with the staff at BtB to implement literacy-based instruction to Pre-K Students at PS4 and students in Grades 1 & 2 at PS125. Honing in on a specific book during the residency, students used art, writing, author engagement, special guest speakers, and celebratory reflection to connect with the text, their peers, and their own passions!
3. Over 500 in-person workshops between our school partners PS15, PS76, PS163, both of our Renaissance Charter School locations in Elmhurst and Jackson Heights and with Behind the Book were provided through our Literacy Through the Arts Program to more than 550 students!

Virtual Classroom:

• Our latest Artistic Residency Program video series "The Sensory Museum" premieres this month! Featuring Arts For All Teaching Artist Nicole Hogsett, viewers are taken on a journey to explore the 5 senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste) through theater, music, movement, and visual arts.
• Earlier this year we premiered our Let’s Learn About Arts For All’s 5 Core Values video series. This Artistic Residency Program Series featured Teaching Artist Leah Young highlighting AFA’s 5 Core Values: Self-Confidence, Self-Expression, Teamwork, Resilience, and Creativity and incorporating Spanish vocabulary to assist young English Language Learners (ELL) as well as English speaking youth looking to learn Spanish. Parents/guardians can follow along with each video's lesson plan here.
• Our Interactive Activities section has also grown with two new Activity Booklets, created by AFA teaching artists Stephanie Martinez and Sam Funk! Stephanie invites you to create fashion from newspapers while Sam shares various ways to make Rainbow Crafts!

Other News:

• Fun Craft Fridays: looking for some DIY activities to do? Each week, we post a different arts and crafts activity that are easy and fun to complete. Be sure to check out our social media every Friday to find craft projects for you and your children to do together at home! 
• Arts For All Blog: we are always updating our blog to keep our community up to date on our teaching artists and workshops. Articles coming soon: "A Day In the Classroom With Arts For All" and "Meet The Artist" Q&A interviews with AFA's Teaching Artists who joined the roster this school year.

Fundraising:

We are excited to share an opportunity to make your support for Arts For All go even further. July 10, 2024, marks the GlobalGiving Bonus Day - a special one-day occasion where your donations can earn up to a 40% match! Save the Date: this event is one week from today. The matching campaign lasts only 15 hours! It begins on Wednesday, July 10th at 9:00 AM EDT and ends at 11:59 PM EDT. We encourage you to donate early, as matching funds may run out before the end of the day.

In conclusion, none of this would be possible without the support of donors like you who see the importance of Arts For All’s work and make contributions to keep us fully operational. It’s amazing to see the difference a dedicated community can make for thousands of students in New York City!

Wishing everyone a fantastic summer, and we hope to have your support again for the next school year!

Sincerely,

Anna Roberts Ostroff

Excutive Director