Charity Pick: Free Arts NYC

Posted by Mindy on February 19th, 2009 at 03:04pm

Free Arts NYC is a non-profit program that provides arts programs and mentoring to low-income, homeless, abused and neglected children. The program partners with shelters, schools and community centers in order to give kids a chance to express themselves through art and a place for them to develop communication and trust skills. Since its founding in 1998, Free Arts NYC has helped over 24,000 children and families. Some of the programs Free Arts NYC offers include:

• Free Arts Days are day-long festivals of arts and crafts where each child is paired with a volunteer buddy. Each free arts day has a theme, and children and their mentors spend the day together bonding and working on projects related to the theme.
• The Weekly Mentor Program matches volunteers with kids ages 6-18 that they teach, assist and mentor for an 8-month period during weekly art sessions.
• The Teen Conservatory Program helps students 14-21 learn about potential careers in the arts. The program includes workshops, portfolio development and internship opportunities.

Free Arts has several other programs and many volunteer opportunities for those interested in becoming mentors or buddies. You can learn more about how to get involved with Free Arts NYC here.

Tags: arts and crafts, arts education, Charity, free arts nyc, Kids

Under Charity+ Kids Tags: arts and crafts, arts education, Charity, free arts nyc, Kids