AMERICAS FOR THE ARTS

Americas for Conservation + the Arts 501c3 AFC+A and its main eight programs, the annual Americas Latino Eco-Festival ALEF (leveraging the arts and Latino leadership for conservation gains) and Mandel Vilar Press MVP (advancing diversity and conservation in publishing), United Cultures for Arts + Nature Youth Ambassadors U-CAN (building a more inclusive generation of environmental stewards), Promotores Verdes (growing family-based advocates for better health through nature experiences) Descubre El Bosque (inspiring tweens and their parents to reconnect with nature), Journey for Climate Justice JCJ (advancing justice through adventure), and the Latina Environmental Giving Circle (empowering the next generation of Latina green leadership) aim at environmental and multicultural education and an integrated, diverse, and inclusive conservation agenda. AFC+A strives to advance this vision: A Healthy Environment-All cultures are stewards of our environment-Education opportunities are accessible to all- Arts grow and sustain healthy communities and social justice

Our eight programs build environmental leadership capacity in our communities to take an active role in stewardship.​

Our founder and Executive Director, Irene Vilar is an accomplished Latin American author and recognized community leader. In 2016, she was awarded the City of Denver's Office of Sustainability Love this Place Award for her work as community-builder. She serves on a number of important advisory positions. Her memoir The Ladies' Gallery was a Philadelphia Inquirer and Detroit Free Press Notable
Book of the Year and finalist for the 1999 Mind Book of the Year Award. Her Impossible Motherhood won the 2010 IPPY Gold Medal for Best Memoir/Autobiography and the 12th Latino Book 2nd Place Award for
Best Women's Issues. Vilar's memoirs have been the subject of 28 Ph.D. dissertations, 36 academic publications, and dedicated chapters in 8 books. Vilar is also a member of the Oxford Union Debate Society. Our organization is driven by a 100% volunteer force of diverse and talented people. All our volunteers share in the belief of the power of civic action and the arts to engage the traditionally disenfranchised to be advocates for themselves and their families and to build alliances to increase our collective understanding of our capacity to address the environmental justice issues our children will be facing. Today minorities make up 40% of the US population but only 13% of environmental organizations, so
AFC+A's unique contribution to reducing the “Environmental Inclusion Gap," is more important and urgent than ever. Advancing diversity is the most important conservation strategy and that the richness of our Latino American culture, is our most important asset in the work that lies ahead. Our culture is
grounded on reverence for Mother Earth. Twenty thousand plus years of indigenous genes still drive the cultures of the Americas of the South and reverberate for generations in the families migrating to the
North. Preservationist and protectionist values resonate in our religions, our social structures, our agricultural practices, and our arts and crafts; especially in our arts.

AFC+A's INITIATIVES
Americas Latino Eco-Festival | ALEF
ALEF is an annual event leveraging arts, culture, and Latino leadership for conservationgains. The Eco Festival is a Latino hosted multicultural event elevating, in particular, thevoices of communities of color and of women in conservation and cultural leadership,fostering collaboration to better tackle environmental problems from many angles,and using art and culture to message environmental awareness and shared values.
Visit www.americaslatinoecofestival.org.
United Cultures for Art + Nature Youth Congress | U-CAN
The U-CAN Youth Congress aims to build a more inclusive generation of conservationstewards through mentorship cultural expression, and a fully developed opportunity pipeline.8th-12th grade students will gain hands on experience through an innovative curriculum, joining
studies in the principles of environmental stewardship with the development of creative skillsin verbal, visual, and sound arts and their application to social change. In partnership withthe US Forest Service, we proudly present the first annual U-CAN Youth Congress August15th-19th, 2017 in Estes Park, CO.
Latina Environmental Giving Circle | LEGC
The Latina Environmental Giving Circle is powering Latina environmental stewardship througha coalition of longtime Latina leaders coming together to pool their power-base and volunteerefforts in service of the urgent environmental challenges facing our planet.
Mandel Vilar Press | MVP
The publishing arm of AFC+A, MVP is dedicated to connecting the literature of the Americasand advancing diversity and conservation in books. MVP publishes the best books andtranslations on the environment, conservation, culture, history, memoir, fiction, science, and
politics. Visit www.mvpress.org.
Descubre El Bosque
Descubre El Bosque is an online campaign increasing meaningful engagement with Hispaniccommunities on conservation and well-being through nature, public lands, and naturalresources stewardship. The campaign strives to inspire tweens (aged 8-12) and their parentsto re-connect with nature by experiencing it first hand. Visit www.descubreelbosque.org/.
CONTACT US
www.americasforconservation.org/
We advance a diverse and non segregated conservation
movement through arts advocacy and culturally relevant
education initiatives that address the needs of previously
underserved and underrepresented communities in the green
movement.
By utilizing culturally relevant content, we elevate core
environmental justice and conservation issues in a more
impactful manner that effectively speaks to not only Latino
communities, but all people.
A Latino-led, woman founded 501 (c)(3) environmental
nonprofit, AFC+A is Colorado based with a national reach.
WHAT IS AFC+A