Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center
3415 Olinville AvenueBronxNY10467
718-652-6256718-652-7324

Program: After-School Literacy Through the Arts Year Started: 1978 Focus: Multidisciplinary Arts Youth Served: 60 Ages: 6-13 Budget: $51,000 Every day after school, 60 children meet at a neighborhood school from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to participate in Literacy Through the Arts. This program uses the arts to improve the reading, writing and math skills of participants. In addition to being tutored in reading, writing and math, participants take two to three classes, taught by professional artists. In the Book-N-Art class, children write and illustrate a story and learn how to bind their story into a book. Other arts programming includes theater; music; modern, African and step dance; percussion and visual arts and crafts. Children maintain journals which they are free, but not obligated, to share with the professional artists who instruct them. The semesters are structured around a theme, and at the end of each session, participants hold a performance and exhibition of their work. Book-N-Art participants keep their own books, but the originals are copied and bound into an anthology. "Because the children set their own goals with the help of an adult, they have more control over their results," explains Director Camille Akeju. "Most of the youth enter the program reluctantly since they know that the reason they are here is because they are not achieving. They leave with a sense of achievement and are more tolerant of each other." Akeju adds that the childrenĖs test scores are improving and that the work they create, especially the anthology, is very popular within the community.