On Friday, May 1, 2009, BuildaBridge celebrated the opening of our student art show, Seeds of Freedom, at Infusion Coffee and Tea in Mount Airy. Over 80 individuals attended the First Friday event, which featured a live jazz trio and fresh juice smoothies. Guests included students and their families from BuildaBridge’s Philadelphia partner sites, Traveler’s Aid and St. Barnabas, BuildaBridge staff and board members, and community members of all ages who joined in the celebration.

The warm spring evening was filled with light and color as guests mingled and admired the prints and paintings inspired by Harlem  Renaissance artist Aaron Douglas. BuildaBridge Artist in Residence Charlene Melhorn led  the students in reciting the poem “I Live in Music” by Ntozake Shange, and vocalist Nicole  Jenkins charmed the crowd with her powerful renditions of jazz standards like “God Bless the  Child.” The talented young artists were eager to share about the process and concepts  behind their artwork, and a friendly, hardworking crew of volunteers kept everything running  smoothly. It was a night to remember!

It’s still not too late to see the show. Seeds of Freedom runs May 1-June 30, 2009 at Infusion  Coffee and Tea at 7133 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia 19119. Art work is available for  purchase with all proceeds benefitting BuildaBridge’s Community Programs. Call  215-842-0428 ext 12 for more information.

BuildaBridge is excited to announce that the organization has received a grant award from Fox Chase Charitable Foundation for the 2009 Institute. This annual training institute and research academy is geared towards all professionals and community workers who want to better serve those in need by learning how to integrate the arts in education and community development.

The Institute embraces the power of the arts in community outreach by teaching arts based tools for healing and empowerment, and efficient ways to implement them, to better serve those in need. Now in its eighth year, IAT has over 80 faculty and 280 alumni from the US, Europe and Latin America. The Institute focuses much of its training for social service professionals, youth workers, community/congregational leaders, non profit organization personnel and artists who are working with disadvantaged populations.

 On April 10, 2009 Jerry Holbrook, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Fox Chase Bank, presented Dr. Nathan Corbitt, President and Co-Founder of BuildaBridge, with a check for $5,000. With this award BuildaBridge will be able to provide ten full scholarships for participation in the Institute, maintaining the organization's aim to provide equal access to arts education and training to those most in need.

Thank you to Fox Chase Charitable Foundation for this generous award.  The Foundation supports artistic and cultural initiatives that enrich communities, businesses and economic development, and vital human services that foster growth and improve the quality of life in our communities.

To learn more about giving and corporate sponsorship opportunities please contact The Coordinator of Development Kathleen McLaughlin, 215.842.0428 x11 or Esta dirección de correo electrónico está protegida contra los robots de spam, necesitas tener Javascript activado para poder verla

Germantown/Mt. Airy: BuildaBridge and Infusion Coffee and Tea will be hosting a public art exhibition, "Seeds of Freedom," opening Friday, May 1, 2009 from 7 to 9 pm. The show will feature 2-dimensional art works (painting, drawing, photography and mixed media) created by school-aged students from BuildaBridge's emergency housing partner sites in West Philadelphia. Led by Artist in Residence Charlene Melhorn, the show will feature art inspired by the Harlem Renaissance. 

The public is invited to attend the First Friday opening, which will feature live music and refreshments. Suggested donation is $10. "Seeds of Freedom" will run from May 1-June 30, 2009 at Infusion Coffee and Tea located at 7133 Germantown Avenue in Mt. Airy. Art work will be available for purchase, with proceeds supporting BuildaBridge's Community Programs. 

BuildaBridge is a non-profit 501(c)3 arts education and intervention organization that engages the transformative power of the arts to bring hope and healing to children, families, and communities in the tough places of the world. BuildaBridge's Discovery program provides arts-integrated education to youth coping with poverty and homelessness in Philadelphia.  

For more information, call Anna Murphey 215-842-0428 ex. 12.

BuildaBridge's Discovery program was awarded a $5,000 grant from US Airways Corporate Giving Program. Discovery partners with emergency and transitional housing sites to provide arts-integrated education in multiple art mediums (dance, drama, visual art, music, culinary arts and creative writing).

BuildaBridge thanks the generous support of US Airways Corporate Giving Program so  that Discovery programming can continue to provide quality arts-integrated education to children free of charge. US Airways contributes to arts and culture, health, human services, education, environment and civic organizations in communities located in their area of operations. Programming would not be possible without support from foundations, individuals and corporations like US Airways.

 To learn more about giving and corporate sponsorship opportunities please contact The Coordinator of Development Kathleen McLaughlin, 215.842.0428 x11 or Esta dirección de correo electrónico está protegida contra los robots de spam, necesitas tener Javascript activado para poder verla

Artology 2009 will be made possible, in part by a grant from the Lincoln Financial Foundation. Artology is BuildaBridge’s multi-disciplinary art and science summer camp. Led by professional artists and graduate medical students, this program integrates scientific learning and discovery with artistic expression. Artology serves children who are coping with homelessness providing them with a safe, educational and inquisitive environment to explore nature and the arts.

BuildaBridge thanks The Lincoln Financial Foundation for their generous support. Lincoln Financial Foundation improves the quality of life in Philadelphia through projects that have lasting impact in the areas of  arts and culture, education, workforce development and human services. Stay tuned for updates about Artology 2009.

To learn more about giving and corporate sponsorship opportunities please contact The Coordinator of Development Kathleen McLaughlin, 215.842.0428 x11 or Esta dirección de correo electrónico está protegida contra los robots de spam, necesitas tener Javascript activado para poder verla

6400 Germantown Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19119

In our continued effort to increase our presence in the Germantown/Mt. Airy community, BuildaBridge will be presenting art-making activities at Mt. Airy Day, a family-centered outdoor festival.  We are looking for folks to help us lead short and simple activities; we will provide any materials needed. Just bring your enthusiasm and teaching abilities!

Would you like to lead children in:

o       A visual art activity?

o       Drama or improv games?

o       Dance or movement exercises?

o       Storytelling, poetry-writing?

o       An African drumming session (we've got the instruments)?

o       Any other art-based activity?

If so, please contact Sarah Heady, Volunteer Coordinator, at 215-842-0428 x15 or Esta dirección de correo electrónico está protegida contra los robots de spam, necesitas tener Javascript activado para poder verla .

Artology, an art and science summer camp, sparks students’ curiosity through a rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum and utilizes Philadelphia's park system as a vibrant interactive classroom.  The camp serves low-income and homeless students grades 4-8 from BuildaBridge’s partner sites in North, West, and Northwest Philadelphia. Please visit www.youtube.com/transformingarts for a great introduction to Artology! 

We are currently recruiting for four positions with Artology camp:

• Lead Art Teacher

• Lead Science Teacher

• Group Leader

• Bus/Van Driver  

To apply, please email your resume to Esta dirección de correo electrónico está protegida contra los robots de spam, necesitas tener Javascript activado para poder verla and indicate which position(s) you are interested in.

BuildaBridge will be recruiting four new AmeriCorps VISTA members to begin a one-year term of service in September 2009:

• Development Associate http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgpr3b86_10c69mfjgh

• Volunteer Coordinator http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgpr3b86_11c5vhw5ds

• Project Assistant http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgpr3b86_9d9c8p7gc

• Research and Assessment Associate http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgpr3b86_12dt27kzff

To learn more about the AmeriCorps VISTA program, please click here.

http://www.americorps.org/for_individuals/choose/vista.asp

To apply, please email your resume to Esta dirección de correo electrónico está protegida contra los robots de spam, necesitas tener Javascript activado para poder verla and indicate which position(s) you are interested in.

By Alina Tudose

BuildaBridge's drama based financial literacy training program, Money News Network (MNN), started on March 24 at the Drueding Center/Project Rainbow in North Philly. The training is six weeks long and is attended by 22 Project Rainbow residents.

By Anna Murphey

Most of us remember being asked as kids, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Like many other young people, I struggled to imagine a future that seemed so distant, so abstract. I learned to give pat answers that elicited a positive response from adults. “I want to be a teacher...” 

After spending months learning drawing skills and the principles of art, students from the Second Baptist Church of Germantown Discovery Program are taking their skills outside!  On Thursday, students packed up their sketchbooks and pencil sets and headed out to he locally revered Oak Lane Diner.  Their on-site assignments included gesture drawings of people, contour drawings of interior spaces, and pattern collection.  The Diner bustled with energy and the comings and goings of its devoted patrons.  One animated patron who has been coming to the diner since the 1960’s stopped by our group just to tell the students how wonderful they are.