BuildaBridge Community Create! Discovery is partnering with local organizations to present an art and biology camp in Northwest Philadelphia for homeless kids.

Learning about biology can be fun and art can be educational. In this arts-integrated summer program of BuildaBridge, the two are combined in what we call Artology. Designed for middle-school students who reside in area family transitional homes, students have an opportunity to increase their knowledge of biological life in area parks and arboretums and interpreting what they learn through drawing, painting and sculpting.

Led by Charlene Melhorn, Director of BuildaBridge Community, she is joined by an exciting team of graduate interns from Bridging the Gaps, a consortium of medical schools in Philadelphia. Bridging the Gaps (BTG) links the training of health and social service professionals with the provision of health-related services for underserved and economically disadvantaged populations.

BTG's Interns have spent two weeks in researching the needs of the youth through a drum circle project headed by Dr. Vivian Nix-Early, and have written the curriculum in conjuction with artists--most of the BTG's interns have art backgrounds.

Space for the camp is being provided by the Second Baptist Church of Germantown, with the final celebration Art Show at the Lucian Crump Gallery in Mount Airy.

Microscopes have been donated by Xump Science Toys (see picture above), and 20 cameras by The Photo Workshop on Germantown Avenue.

Funding has been provided through our partnership with the Homeless Children's Initiative of the School District of Philadlephia in addition to contributions to BuildaBridge.

Want to help? We need a bus. Transporting the kids will take a major part of the budget ($3000 for two weeks of the camp).