Education Puerto Rico Project #67792

Feed 40 Children in Puerto Rico Art Program

by Parceleras Afrocaribenas por la Transformacion Barrial inc.

Project Report | Apr 30, 2026
Art and Cultural Childrens Program in Puerto Rico

By mapenzi chibale nono | co-director of Youth Arts and Ecology

Dear donors,

Thanks for supporting the twelfth edition of Patio Taller en Verano (June 8–19, 2026), a hands-on summer program dedicated to promoting social change through access to the arts, culture, and the environment for youth ages 6–16.

We are getting ready for this upcoming edition — and this year we turn 12. Yes, 12! This is an exciting milestone for the program: it has allowed us to grow, learn, and adapt beyond what we imagined. Twelve feels like a turning point, and we approach this iteration with humility, courage, creativity, and joy. When people turn 12, compassion is especially important to help navigate the aches of growing, that’s where we are innovating. We’re creating a program that not only impacts arts and culture, but also celebrates the growing need to learn and flourish in community, with compassion, especially in these unprecedented times.

With your support we can plan culturally appropriate meals that will nurture our children and youth cohort. Food is vital in our community: it lets us celebrate culture, reclaim a sense of place, and nourish minds and bodies. I have seen how important access to fresh tropical fruit has been to each participant, those fresh pineapples even made their way into our program evaluations. We love hearing from parents and kids about how much they enjoy our choices. Join me in celebrating this small act of joy, your donation helps make it possible. Thank you, thank you!

For this twelfth edition, we are collaborating with approximately 20 artists from Puerto Rico. Our archipelago has a rich artistic community, imagine them coming together to teach the kids of el barrio. That’s what we’re doing this summer, and we can’t wait to share how much fun we had in our next report.

In comunity!

Links:

Patio Taller en Verano 2025

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Nov 7, 2025
Feed 40 Children in Puerto Rico Art Program

By Dalia Castro Cordova | Operations Lead

Project Report: Patio Taller en Verano 2026 – Planning in Motion

Following the success of the eleventh edition of Patio Taller (June 9–20, 2025), our team is now preparing for Patio Taller en Verano 2026. The upcoming program will continue our mission of promoting social change through access to the arts, culture, and the environment for youth ages 6 to 16. Building on the achievements of last summer’s 10-day immersive experience, we are currently analyzing participant feedback, securing financial and material resources, and strengthening collaborations to make next year’s edition even more impactful. One of our key goals for this campaign is to raise funds to provide healthy daily meals for all 40 participants, ensuring full and equitable participation.

In 2025, local artists and educators led workshops in ceramics, storytelling, plena, bomba, percussion, bass, woodworking, theater, salsa, muralism, cyanotype, and screen printing. We also incorporated environmental activities such as bat conservation, tree planting, mangrove exploration, and weather studies, allowing participants to connect artistic creation with ecological awareness. In 2026, we plan to expand this interdisciplinary approach by deepening partnerships with organizations such as Colectivo Caribana and La Escuela de Liderazgo, both focused on popular education and youth leadership.

Next year’s program will continue to implement democratic education and compassionate communication methodologies, fostering a sense of belonging and collective learning among participants, facilitators, and families. We also plan to repeat and enrich our community open-house day, where families experience the outcomes of the workshops and celebrate together. As one parent beautifully shared: “Thank you for supporting this amazing project, allowing my kids to be a part of it, and for providing Afro-descendant children and young people with such wonderful experiences through art.”

Through Patio Taller en Verano 2026—alongside our new programs Liderazgo Juvenil en las Artes and Patio Taller en Primavera—we will continue strengthening access to the arts for children and youth, paving the way for a brighter and more connected community. We look forward to sharing our progress and welcoming returning and new participants for another season of creativity, learning, and joy.

Dalia Castro Cordova

Operations Lead

dalia@parcelerasafrocaribenas.org

Links:

Explore our website if you want to keep learning about us!

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Jul 14, 2025
Arts, Culture and Environmental Youth program

By mapenzi chibale nono | co-director of Youth Arts and Ecology

Thanks for your support of the eleventh edition of Patio Taller (June 9–20), a summer program dedicated to promoting social change through access to the arts, culture, and the environment for youth ages 6 to 16.

This year, we had the opportunity to develop a 10-day immersive program of direct engagement, during which participants strengthened their sense of belonging and community through educational experiences centered on the arts, culture, and the environment.

We are excited to have established partnerships with local organizations focused on popular education and leadership–such as Colectivo Caribana and La Escuela de Liderazgo. In addition, local artists participated by sharing their knowledge with the community in areas including ceramics, storytelling, plena, bomba, percussion, bass, woodworking, theater, salsa, muralism, cyanotype, and screen printing.

We also integrated environmental activities, including bat conservation, tree planting, mangrove exploration, and weather studies.

This experience impacted 40 participants between the ages of 6 and 16. We implemented democratic education and compassionate communication methodologies, helping to strengthen the bonds between participants, facilitators, and the broader community.

For this eleventh edition, we also hosted an open house day, where families had the opportunity to see the results of the workshops and participate in a collective space of reflection and celebration.

At the end of the summer Arts, Culture and Environmental Youth program, many participants expressed a desire for the program to be expanded. One 9-year-old participant shared, “I wish this program would continue even after the world ends.” This statement reflects the hope, emotional impact, and futuristic vision that this project inspires in those who experience it.

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