Valentine’s Day Art Event Connecting Students & Cultures
Cayuga Centers Partners with Big Picture Foundation and The Academy at Rye High School to Bring Collaborative Art Event to its UC Program
New York, NY – February 12th, 2021- Cayuga Centers will partner with the Big Picture Foundation (BPF) today, Friday, February 12th, 2021 to coordinate a virtual “field trip” between 60 youth in its unaccompanied minor youth program (UC) and students at The Academy at Rye High School (RHS), an alternative education program within the Rye City School District. The fun filled day will involve interactive online activities such as bilingual Pictionary facilitated by staff from both BPF and Cayuga Centers for the students. The Big Picture Foundation is also donating 60 care packages filled with art supplies to Cayuga Centers. These “friendship packages” were assembled by the students at The Academy at Rye High School and feature letters expressing “Welcome to the United States” salutations in English and Spanish.
Today’s event marks the second year of this collaboration. In February 2020, Cayuga Centers was approved by The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to take youth in the UC program on a field trip to the Rye Recreation Center in Rye, NY. The visit offered an opportunity for the minors in Cayuga Centers’ care to interact with other youth in their age group and to engage in cultural exchange through art. Given the circumstances of the COVID 19 pandemic, this year’s field trip will take place via video conference.
The benefits of this collaboration tie in to a larger conversation about art therapy as a form of treatment for youth who may have been faced with a variety of challenges or trauma. George Krajca, Coordinator for the Academy echoed, “By creating art, we take what is inside us and offer it to the world. By doing so, we can better understand ourselves and allow others to know how we see our world, what we think, and how we feel. The power of art lies in its ability to transcend the barriers of culture and language and time to allow us to recognize our shared humanity.”
Luisa Ruiz, Assistant Vice President of the Learning Center at Cayuga Centers, praised the collaboration, saying “We are very grateful to the Big Picture Foundation for this partnership. This opportunity will allow our minors to interact with the community through a language we all speak, art, as it is a form of expression that crosses all divides”. The Big Picture Foundation aims to empower middle and high school age youth to use the arts to create an interactive global community through free collaborative art activities and by sharing the results of these art projects online. “We are very excited to be working with Cayuga Centers again this year… We are happy that we have been able to connect virtually this year, and we look forward to when our students can meet again in person in the future”, said Kristen Warner, Acting Coordinator Big Picture Foundation.
Cayuga Centers is proud to offer this event as a cultural enrichment activity and students at the Academy have already expressed enthusiasm in anticipation of the event. Felicia Ambrogi, a 9th grader actively involved with the Big Picture Foundation offered this message to the UC program, “This year on Valentine’s Day we are so glad to spend time with you, the kids at Cayuga Centers, doing fun activities like Pictionary. We hope to deepen our connection and look forward to getting to know you.”
This event is the culmination of work by students and George Krajca at the Academy at RHS, Kristen Warner at BPF, and Luisa Ruiz at the Cayuga Centers Learning Center. When asked about the importance of art collaboration, Kim Tamalonis, Founder of BPF shared, “Imagine if our efforts caught on and international collaboration became a normal part of childhood. Imagine a future built by leaders who were invested in global friendships and collaborative problem solving from the time they were in grade school. Our students, challenged to use the arts for local, national, and global community building endeavors, may someday be the leaders who see new paths for uniting our nations”.
The Academy at Rye High School
The Academy at Rye High School is a new learning inter-disciplinary community encouraging intellectual growth, creativity, and risk taking in students at Rye High School. Made up of a diverse community of juniors, seniors, and educators, the program seeks students who are committed to learning together. Students who apply and are accepted to the program are challenged to build a community that celebrates those qualities that make us unique individuals and take on project interest areas based on their unique skill sets and passions. Learn more about the RHS program at https://www.ryeschools.org/domain/1089.
The Big Picture Foundation
Big Picture Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to empower middle and high school age children to use the arts to create an interactive, joy filled global community through collaborative activities. Big Picture Foundation develops and facilitates free programming for all children to learn about current events, geography, politics, and contemporary art, while engaging in global art collaborations. BPF invites students to participate in community building art events and share art project accomplishments online. www.bigpicturefoundation.org
About Cayuga Centers
Cayuga Centers is a nationally accredited and awarded 501(c)(3) non-profit, human services agency headquartered in Auburn, NY. Founded in 1852, the agency has delivered quality services by following the agency’s core mission of helping individuals and families grow as independent, healthy, and productive citizens through quality counseling, out-of-home care, and support services. Cayuga Centers provides a continuum of support services in Delaware, Florida, and over 30 counties throughout NYS. The agency specializes in providing individualized, culturally appropriate, and trauma-informed support to diverse populations. Cayuga Centers currently serves over 10,000 individuals and families annually. Visit www.cayugacenters.org for more information.
Media Contact:
Jasmine Lawrence
Media & Community Specialist
