St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. has established a new program initiative aimed at helping our youth. YouTh ink. @ Hayti After-school Program is for at-risk and adjudicated youths. The program will focus on helping students develop skills that will make them less likely to engage in a wide range of high-risk behaviors. The program will use spoken word poetry to introduce students to tools that can aid them in strengthening their communication skills, as well as “finding their voice” and their sense of purpose in society.
YouTh ink. @ Hayti will use spoken word poetry to introduce students to tools that can aid them in strengthening their communication skills, as well as “finding their voice” and sense of purpose in society. The program is broken into two 10-week after-school sessions, one beginning Fall 2010 and the other, Spring 2011. The program is for at-risk and adjudicated youth ages 14-18. Sessions will meet 3 times a week for approximately 2-hrs.
Furthermore, as it applies to literacy education the YouTh ink. pedagogy is designed to incorporate and reinforce academic knowledge previously presented in classroom instruction (i.e. tropes and figurative language, formal writing techniques, references to curriculum texts), while also differing enough that it feels like something new to participants who are often disillusioned with the traditional education system. The program curriculum is structured to explore many of the concepts and fulfill many of the literacy goals outlined in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCS), as well as incorporate texts commonly used in the classroom (i.e. Romeo and Juliet, The Odyssey). Therefore, we contend that our programming works to enhance students’ understanding of required material in state and regional curriculums, as well as to expand their knowledge base and interests into new fields.
Young people play a key role in the future of any cultural organization, and that is the case for the Hayti Heritage Center. The Foundation believes that exposure to the arts, education and cultural programming makes a smarter child, and a more humanitarian individual. We also believe that the arts and education should be accessible to all youth, especially those who are facing multiple challenges and are at risk. Statistics show that children with significant exposure to the arts build skills that are critical for academic success.
24th Anniversary Performance
The company is based at The St. Joseph’s Hayti Heritage Center. Members ranging in ages from 9 – 20, represent youth from across the Triangle including Cary, Raleigh, Garner, and Durham. Company members serve as role models of self-determination and unity for other African American youth today in our community. Collage Dance Company has performed at the annual Kwanzaa Celebrations in Cary and Durham and many local festivals and events. Tickets for the spring performance at Duke will also be available at the door.
February 2009
This production is being designed to be accessible enough for 3rd graders and yet appreciated by adult audiences as well. What’s more the production has an invitation for performances on February 14th at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati!
The Blues In The Schools (BITS) program is a one-week residency in which noted blues professionals conduct lecture- demonstrations and performances for a variety of audiences, public education programs K-12, after school programs and private, charter and home school programs. The focus of the residency is to educate and enlighten our youth and community on the Blues and the Piedmont style, known to have been developed and performed in the Durham and cities across North Carolina.
The BITS program has been designed for middle and high school students. Students who are currently enrolled in music appreciation class will be engaged in the lecture demonstration portion of the residency. School assembly format are encouraged. It is estimated that over 3,500 youth will be engaged in the residency during the week activities.
