growth, cultural adjustment, and education. Arts Ignite programming at the Newcomer Youth Summer Academy provides students with a full itin- erary of new experiences formulated to build com- munity and support transition through classes, field trips, talent shows, concerts, and a culminating grad- uation show. 2022 marked the return to in-person programming after a long hiatus due to the COVID shutdown and, as such, the Arts Ignite team was able to organize and facilitate special community events and field trips. From taking in the magic of a first Broadway show at The Music Man to sharing their special skills and qualities in the “I Am Unique”Tal- ent Show, students were able to experience new things and cultivate a sense of community, self, and pride. With multiple musical concerts, an experien- tial arts games fair on Governors Island, and collab- orative art-making projects, Arts Ignite provided a
diverse array of programming with aims to engage and strengthen students’ artistic and social emotional learning. Throughout the summer, Arts Ignite’s classes celebrated the young people’s strengths and built up their unique areas for growth. As a student- nominated class speaker, Jorge said at the graduation ceremony, “Look and see how much we’ve grown.” As the world changes, the NYSA program constantly adapts to meet evolving student needs. Artistic self-expression can em- power all young people to connect with others, strive for aca- demic excellence, and imagine new possibilities and the Arts Ignite team has seen first hand just how powerful participation in the arts can be across realms, from English language learning to emotion regulation, and from relationship building to self-es-
past year, a parent shared, “After leaving Ukraine, [my child] was very stressed. I can see a 100% positive change in her attitude and behavior. Thanks to this program, she has been able to meet new friends and be open to other people again.” Arts Ignite seeks to develop agency in young people through the arts by using evidence-based programming to foster three core educational values: creative capacity, community, and cour- age. At NYSA this past year, these values were integrated into a central theme: C.A.R.E. (Creativity, Accountability, Respect, and Empathy). By offering artistic activities and creative exer- cises that flexed students’ C.A.R.E. muscles, Arts Ignite equipped students with the skills they need to be their best ver- sions of themselves as they build new lives in the United States. At NYSA and beyond, Arts Ignite prides itself on cultivating brave spaces where young people can develop agency, build crit- ical life skills, and experience the joy of creative expression. In their work with NYSA, the team prioritizes arts programming that mindfully addresses any gaps in academic or social devel- opment that recently resettled young people may experience (e.g., being away from a classroom setting for a period of time). In striving to bring the life-changing capabilities of the arts to young people everywhere, Arts Ignite offers a range of com- munity-oriented programming with proven impact. In addition to NYSA, this year Arts Ignite will launch a pilot program in Uganda with Columbia University to support creative strategies in refugee education, serve youth and mothers impacted by HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence through a theater camp in Johannesburg, South Africa, uplift arts integration for emerging multilingual learners in Waterloo, Iowa, and Home- stead, Florida, and continue to work with youth across New York City schools and public programs to ensure that regardless of a young person’s circumstance (underfunded arts programs, periods of homelessness, juvenile incarceration, or any other systemic issue and its effects), young people will have access to arts education and creative tools that that they need to thrive. To support the work of Arts Ignite and to learn more about their programming, please visit artsignite.org *
teem. “NYSA continues to be one of my fa- vorite programs at Arts Ignite,” shared Arts Ignite Deputy Executive Director for Pro- grams and Operations, Lindsay Roberts Greene. “Last year was particularly fasci- nating as we saw world events directly mir- ror the increase of students enrolled from both Ukraine and Russia, nationalities that usually don’t have such a high presence at NYSA. Our teaching artists had the unique opportunity to explore community building through creativity with students whose home countries were literally at war. We constantly asked ourselves how dance or vi- sual art, how creating together and building together, could bring these young people closer, form lasting connections, and hope- fully impact our next generation towards peace, kindness, and empathy and you know what? Watching the students unite through dance and play as the summer un- folded- I think we achieved some positive impact moving forward.” This feeling was echoed at the culmination of NYSA this
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