Problem

With the drastic reduction of Project Arts funding in New York City schools, most children in the public school system no longer have a single art or music class in their weekly, let alone daily schedule. Sing for Hope’s “artist peace corps” is uniquely qualified to help fill this void, both in terms of the high-quality programming that we provide and our cost-effective approach.

The Gift

This gift will provide 5 underserved students with 1 hour of much-needed arts and leadership instruction. Sing for Hope's arts education approach centers on the concept of arts activism, or art as a means to better our world. Students use basic instruction in music, dance, drama, and the visual arts to address a cause of concern in their community. Each Sing for Hope residency culminates in the students’ creation of their own arts activist projects, which range from environmentalist beat poetry, to originally composed choral pieces on the theme of human freedom, to teleplays promoting recycling. The students’ final projects are presented to their schools and local communities – demonstrable examples of the students’ own arts activism in action and their ability to foster positive change in the world around them. Your gift to Sing for Hope will bring the power of arts activism to those who need it most, ensuring a brighter future to 5 of more than 2,000 Sing for Hope students in the New York City Public School System.