Project Launch:

El Mani, located on the outer edge of the city of Bani in the southern region of the Dominican Republic, is home to unpaved roads and harsh realities. El Mani is often regarded as the forgotten community of the city. The majority of families struggle for basic necessities and the schools are overcrowded and underfunded, resulting in limited opportunities for the children. With many young people dropping out of school and making unhealthy life decisions, Proyecto And Arte was started as an extracurricular art program to give kids more and better afterschool opportunities. The ten-week art program ran a visual art class that focused on paper mache, painting, drawing and a community mural project, and a performance art class that focused on teaching the basics of reading music, singing and stage presence. At the end of the ten weeks the group hosted an exposition at the community center for the kids to showcase their work. In addition to teaching artistic skills, classes aimed to educate the children on the importance of creative expression, respect, and responsibility. This project offered a positive and fun environment in which the kids learned valuable lessons by creating art and built the confidence and motivation needed to continue their studies and reach their full potential.