Artistic Dreams International

Goals:
1. Life skills & strengths: provide students with the skills they need to not just survive, but thrive in contemporary society through a growth mindset. To be an influence in society as a whole, promoting self-acceptance, inclusion and empathy among other socio-emotional strengths.
2. World Citizenship: for students to appreciate their own racial heritage and be able to solve community and world problems. For students to become culturally aware, promoting social justice while respecting cultures world-wide.
3. Build self-trust through free artistic expression: students learn the artistic decision-making process, which will assist decision-making throughout their life. Students feel a sense of accomplishment and freedom of expression that allows them to more fully accept and embrace themselves.
4. Knowledge and skills related to the visual arts: art history/ art disciplines / international techniques.

Our program focuses on empowering youth, while providing art education instruction as a way to achieve this in an educational and fun way.

Project Objectives achievable in 6 to 8 months:
1. Provide a curriculum that increases socio-emotional development and life skills.
2. Provide lessons that increase cultural awareness, global citizenship and a mindset of inclusion.
3. Engage children in hands-on activities and expose them to teaching artists that promote free expression, mindfulness and self-awareness to increase self-esteem.
4. Provide a curriculum that increases knowledge and curiosity in the theory and practice of the visual arts.

Project activities are to provide in person class weekly to each participating school for 26 weeks within their afterschool programs. Activities also include summer workshops.

Milestones: Pre evaluation, post evaluation, completion of Art and World Culture Curriculum, final exhibition and final teacher assessment.

​ADI is confident in our ability to continue successfully executing our project activities, while meeting our funder's expectations. We have been a proud grant recipient of the National Endowment for the arts since 2021; recipient of the New York State Council on the Arts since 2014; recipient of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs since 2014; recipient of City Council discretionary funding since 2020; and recipient of multiple foundations and corporations such as the Tides Foundation, Annabelle Foundation and Black Baud. We have effectively put funds to use in NYC schools and NYPL branches at locations such as: George Bruce Library; Hamilton Grange Library; PS 36; PS 125; PS 153; PS 129; PS 161; PS/IS 210; P.S. 46; Thurgood Marshall Academy Lower School; Teachers College Community School; Columbia Secondary School, among others. We hold partnerships with The New York Public Library, Harlem Dowling West Side Center for Children and Families, and with the New York Police Athletic League. Classes have been delivered during the school day, after school and on Saturdays. In addition to providing programs to children in NYC, ADI provides classes to children at four schools in Mexico.

Our programs are overseen directly by the International Program Director and Founder/Executive Director, and implemented by our twelve to fifteen Teaching Artists (75% of which hold a Masters Fine Art or Arts Education). Our Director of Partnerships establishes and maintains communication with schools and community-based organizations, identifying new sites and providing support to existing programs. A Marketing Officer focuses on social media presence and our website.

During a DYCD visit during the 2020-2021 school year to one of our Harlem Dowling programs, their DYCD Program Manager observed an ADI class and indicated a positive, inspired and exciting experience. They provided valuable and positive feedback, while encouraging Harlem Dowling to continue with ADI arts education classes into the future.

Our international and New York City successes, showcase ADI’s capabilities to continue meeting funders' expectations. Our programs have been featured by CNN, demonstrating the way our programs inspire children to become worldly individuals who dare to dream and work on their goals and connections beyond racial or continental borders.

2011 - Year Founded and started first International Chorus at 14th Street church and later at George Bruce Library in Harlem and P.S. 11 in Queens
2014 - Mexico Program Begins at Llano Blanco village in Sonora, Mexico
2019 - Artistic Dreams reaches more than 4,000 students as milestone in service in New York City
2020 - Artistic Dreams creates the first virtual cultural exchange program with students from New York City, Mexico, Morocco, Chile and Kuwait.