Project Launch:

To capture the artistic spirit of youth in El Salvador in 2010, a Peace Corps Volunteer facilitated an Art in Action program in El Pital, El Salvador. In this small rural community in western El Salvador, three youth groups -- a break-dance group, a theatre group, and an artisan group -- needed support to expand their programming. With a $498 grant from World Connect’s Kids to Kids Program, they could achieve something new. The theater group bought materials for real costumes and props and traveled to present their plays throughout schools in El Salvador; the artisan group expanded their knowledge by working with obsidian and jade (stones indigenous to this region) and other new materials such as tiles and wood, aiming to sell their products in new and larger markets; and the break-dance group developed a more formal look with uniforms and business cards for events and parties, aiming to compete on the national break-dancing scene. These art programs for these groups of high-energy and dynamic young people, offered an important educational and developmental force in the lives of the participants, teaching discipline, small-business skills, creativity, and personal expression. Such associations help young people form positive self-images, encourage healthy social networks, and equip them with tools for the future.