HOSTING ORGANIZATIONS
Logistical assistance and on-sight support from hosting organizations make this project possible. I am grateful for their participation. Together, we are fortunate to witness the strengthening of a generation of girls through art.
We are working to bring Mighty Fingers Facing Change to every state in the US over the next several years. If you would like to bring Mighty Fingers to your school or group, please submit the contact form below. We look forward to working with you and your girls to create a better tomorrow.
Previous Locations
Franklin Lake Education Foundation
Jaclyn Bajzath presented Mighty Fingers Facing Change to the Franklin Lakes Education Foundation (FLEF) in a shark-tank style pitch for funding. She sited Harvard studies on adolescent girls and the need for more collaboration and support among their peer group, and the power of art. FLEF not only granted her the funding, they decided to sponsor the project in all three of their elementary schools. See pics here.
The New Jersey Education Association - Absecon, Hillsborough, Clinton, Hamilton, and Jersey City.
We produced Mighty Fingers Facing Change in 5 NJ school in September of 2017. It was a true pleasure to do this work in my home state. Download the colorful article in the NJEA REVIEW magazine here.
Philadelphia Athletic Recreation Center, Philadelphia PA
Working with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, we brought Mighty Fingers Facing Change to Athletic. Athletic is a community center in Philadelphia that offers much needed arts and physical education opportunities for the sounding area. It's close enough that I plan to go back in the summer of 2018 and some kind of follow up project with the girls there.
Sidhabari & Andhra Pradesh, India, working the CORD, and The Chinmaya Vijaya orphanage. With the help of supporters from our Indiagogo campaign we were able to set up a permanent art room for the girls to enjoy and grow in at Chinmaya Vijaya, and leadership there works to keep it well stocked. The family at Chinmaya Vijaya offer so much nourishment and love it the way of food, shelter, and a world class education. These girls have a very structured schedule, and the art room offers a place to exercise other parts of their brains. They love it up there.
Our time in Uganda, working with Pearl Community Empowerment Foundation was one of the most heartwarming trips of my lifetime. We are so grateful for all of those who supported this effort! We could not have done this without you. Together, we helped finish building a school, we built over 40 desks, and we brought art, writing, and sewing skills to over 80 girls. Please see the gallery for more images and video.
Pearl Community Empowerment Foundation (PCE Foundation): PCE Foundation is a grassroots national development registered NGO currently operating in rural communities of Tororo and Buteleja districts, Eastern Uganda.
PCE's mission is to enhance knowledge and skills, promote exchange of information and best practices through education, mentorship, trainings, Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships for Social, Cultural and Economic Development. Their vision is to have empowered communities that can take charge of their own developments. They involve and encourage Community participation. This approach has helped the community work together and “own” their achievements on the ground.
PCE's mission is to enhance knowledge and skills, promote exchange of information and best practices through education, mentorship, trainings, Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships for Social, Cultural and Economic Development. Their vision is to have empowered communities that can take charge of their own developments. They involve and encourage Community participation. This approach has helped the community work together and “own” their achievements on the ground.
Our most recent hosting organization, Germina Foundation, is a non profit organization located in Santa Coloma, Spain. This wonderful organization offers programs of care and community activities for children, young people and families. Germina's mission is to improve the quality of life within the community. The staff and councilors at Germina are enthusiastic and lovingly respected by the community they serve. They also have a great understanding and appreciation for how art helps express emotion and connected communities. "Look into my eyes and you will see how far I can go" is a mantra they inspire in the kids they work with. Germina is a compelling example of support and empowerment for those in need can change the course of many lives. |
|
We've just returned from Haiti with Mighty Fingers. We begin in Jacmel, Haiti working with a group of girls from the Art Creation Foundation for Children, we then traveled to Port Au Prince where worked with girls at NPFS, and The Diaspora Community Services safe space for girls. I'm always inspired by these strong vibrant voices, and I'm truly grateful to have had the opportunity to interact with them. A big thanks to these three organizations for their long term dedication to the future of Haiti, and for the support and logistical assistance they offer my little team. We look forward to seeing more art from all of you.
Stop number four took us to San Francisco to work with girls gathered together from five city clubs through The Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco.
The clubs art directors bring a real benefit to these kids, many of whom consider these clubs to be a place where they can always find a supportive hand. Their sense of real caring was very clear. I'm learning all the time. These girls teach me every time.
The Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco focus on helping their members achieve SUCCESS IN LIFE. The cornerstone of this effort is a model that makes clear that when members leave The Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco at age 18, they are equipped with the skills needed for their futures and have achieved the following: academic success, good character & community engagement, healthy lifestyles, and job readiness, with earning potential. As funding in the schools is cut, many critical developmental programs can be found only at a Boys & Girls Club. For at-risk youth, access to these activities can mean the difference between a life of bad choices and a life of positive achievement.
Dream Big! Fingersmears connects our young women to their big dreams, power, hope and love through this unique, artistic, creative experience. Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco is honored to be part Kelly Sullian's amazing legacy of community building - one finger painted stroke at a time....
Patricia Zamora
Boys and Grils Clubs of San Francisco
Citywide Arts Programs
The clubs art directors bring a real benefit to these kids, many of whom consider these clubs to be a place where they can always find a supportive hand. Their sense of real caring was very clear. I'm learning all the time. These girls teach me every time.
The Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco focus on helping their members achieve SUCCESS IN LIFE. The cornerstone of this effort is a model that makes clear that when members leave The Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco at age 18, they are equipped with the skills needed for their futures and have achieved the following: academic success, good character & community engagement, healthy lifestyles, and job readiness, with earning potential. As funding in the schools is cut, many critical developmental programs can be found only at a Boys & Girls Club. For at-risk youth, access to these activities can mean the difference between a life of bad choices and a life of positive achievement.
Dream Big! Fingersmears connects our young women to their big dreams, power, hope and love through this unique, artistic, creative experience. Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco is honored to be part Kelly Sullian's amazing legacy of community building - one finger painted stroke at a time....
Patricia Zamora
Boys and Grils Clubs of San Francisco
Citywide Arts Programs
Stop number three was brought to the YWCA of Edmonton and sponsored by The Soroptimists of Edmonton. We participated in the YWCA's "Day of the Girl" conference and then worked with a smaller group of young leaders to create self portraits that speak to the power of a girl. Many thanks to the generous support and warm welcome of the Soroptimists.
As part of the oldest and largest women’s social service organization in Canada, the YWCA Edmonton has been serving the capital region for over 100 years.
They are founded on the belief that women must take a leadership role in shaping society’s direction in order to achieve equity and equality for all women.
As part of the oldest and largest women’s social service organization in Canada, the YWCA Edmonton has been serving the capital region for over 100 years.
They are founded on the belief that women must take a leadership role in shaping society’s direction in order to achieve equity and equality for all women.
Stop number two was hosted by Girls Actively Participating! (GAP!), Journeys School, and The Alta Elementary School, with support from pARTners and the Jackson Hole Art Association. We gathered 40 girls from from both sides of the Tetons for a day of exploration through art. They learned a bit about the girls from Guatemala and a bit about them selves. Some of the girls will continue to participate as guest bloggers. Visit the "videos and pictures from the road" page on this site to see what they have to say.
GAP! is a free, after-school program for middle school girls in Teton County, WY. It provides a fun, safe, empowering space for girls. GAP! activities follow the themes of Building Community, Taking Care of Ourselves, Giving to Others, and Expressing Ourselves, preparing the girls to become successful, happy, contributing members of society. Through a variety of hands-on activities GAP! girls expand their horizons, strengthen their friendships, develop their talents, and gain self-confidence and self-esteem under the supervision and guidance of caring adults.
"I am excited and honored that GAP! has been invited to join in this jaw dropping project! Yeah!"
Jessica Burgard Yeomans
Executive Director
Girls Actively Participating!
GAP! is a free, after-school program for middle school girls in Teton County, WY. It provides a fun, safe, empowering space for girls. GAP! activities follow the themes of Building Community, Taking Care of Ourselves, Giving to Others, and Expressing Ourselves, preparing the girls to become successful, happy, contributing members of society. Through a variety of hands-on activities GAP! girls expand their horizons, strengthen their friendships, develop their talents, and gain self-confidence and self-esteem under the supervision and guidance of caring adults.
"I am excited and honored that GAP! has been invited to join in this jaw dropping project! Yeah!"
Jessica Burgard Yeomans
Executive Director
Girls Actively Participating!
The Association IDEI was our first official hosting organization. The Mighty Fingers Facing Change team joined them in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. We gathered at the city cultural center and worked with girls from indigenous villages that surround the area. These girls are part of The Child and Youth Parliament of Guatemala, a program developed and led by The Association IDEI. They represent the needs and opinions of the children in their communities on a governmental level. They rally for change, and they get results.
The IDEI is a non-governmental, non-partisan, non-profit, non-religious, since 1994 affects the human development of the population of the south-west of the country, through projects in health, education and research with high community participation, gender equity , human rights and respect for the culture.
The IDEI is a non-governmental, non-partisan, non-profit, non-religious, since 1994 affects the human development of the population of the south-west of the country, through projects in health, education and research with high community participation, gender equity , human rights and respect for the culture.
I offer a sincere "thank you" to The Rutgers Future Scholars program for hosting our pilot project. I appreciate their faith and willingness to participate and offer constructive feedback. This group of girls was ready to take on the world, and they inspired me to do more.
The goal of the Rutgers Future Scholars program is to increase the numbers of academically ambitious high school graduates who come from low-income backgrounds. They work to develop a replicable model to incite peer institutions in-state and nation-wide to partner with school districts to identify, support, prepare and offer tuition scholarships to low income, promising middle school students
"Thank you [Mighty Fingers-Facing Change] for helping them learn about themselves and about each other and about the impact they can have on our world, as well as lifting their spirits and their sights. You always have a home at Rutgers."
Best regards, Aramis Gutierrez
Director, Rutgers Future Scholars
The goal of the Rutgers Future Scholars program is to increase the numbers of academically ambitious high school graduates who come from low-income backgrounds. They work to develop a replicable model to incite peer institutions in-state and nation-wide to partner with school districts to identify, support, prepare and offer tuition scholarships to low income, promising middle school students
"Thank you [Mighty Fingers-Facing Change] for helping them learn about themselves and about each other and about the impact they can have on our world, as well as lifting their spirits and their sights. You always have a home at Rutgers."
Best regards, Aramis Gutierrez
Director, Rutgers Future Scholars