IFETAYO CULTURAL ARTS ACADEMY INC
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Mission Statement
Ifetayo Cultural Arts Academy empowers youth and families of African descent to achieve high levels of educational, professional and artistic excellence. As a leading Brooklyn-based institution we inspire future generations to develop a strong African-centered cultural identity and realize their power to transform social inequity.
About This Cause
Ifetayo Cultural Arts Academy, Inc. (ICAA) is a trailblazing institution led by and created for people of African descent in historically underserved Brooklyn communities where access to opportunity, education, arts and culture, and a social safety net are limited at best. With a track record that spans thirty years, Ifetayo’s mission is to empower youth and families of African descent to achieve high levels of educational, professional and artistic excellence. We envision a world where every child of African descent is valued and thrives. Toward this end, ICAA offers African-centered multi-disciplinary arts instruction, cultural education, and wrap-around support for the whole family. Founded in 1989 with just 50 students receiving free dance classes in Flatbush, Brooklyn, today Ifetayo is a multi-faceted, cultural organization holistically serving some 2,000 annually through both on-campus and in-school arts and cultural programming with a focus on the African and Caribbean Diaspora. Youth and families are engaged across six interrelated programs: Arts Education in partnership with 12 public schools; an onsite Cultural Arts Program with offerings spanning dance, music, theater and the visual arts; the nationally recognized Ifetayo Youth Ensemble which has performed at the White House; the Rites of Passage Program which provides both a safety net and launching pad for older youth as they become mature adults; the Financial Education Institute which promotes financial well-being among young adults and families; and the inter-generational Marcus Garvey Cultural Heritage Program which engages whole families in a celebration of their shared values and heritage. Ifetayo’s programs are designed to empower young people and their families to reach their full potential and to become change agents for their community, whether through in-school Arts Education, onsite beginner-advanced Cultural Arts Program, or the Ifetayo Youth Ensemble-Ifetayo’s signature ensemble of 17-20 young leaders who leverage their multi-disciplinary training to mount socially-relevant, interdisciplinary works each year that raise awareness of issues facing their community from AIDS to the prison industrial complex. Unique to Ifetayo, the Rites of Passage Program grounds young adults of African and Caribbean descent in a deep appreciation and understanding of their heritage, while preparing them for the world around them through work readiness and financial literacy training, college and career counseling, monthly workshops with topics ranging from health to sexuality, and gender-tailored initiatives such as Sisters in Sisterhood and I Am My Brother which provide a safe haven for young people to grow and develop as confident, emotionally mature, and engaged members of their community. Meanwhile the Financial Education Institute & Marcus Garvey Cultural Heritage Program folds entire generations into the Ifetayo community through wrap-around supports that include financial literacy workshops, matched savings accounts, cultural education workshops, lectures with guest speakers, and group travel. Together, these initiatives foster cultural awareness and pride, build a strong sense of community, and holistically support families of African and Caribbean descent. All programming is free or deeply discounted to ensure access and need-based scholarships are provided to participants. We are proud that no family in need has ever been turned away!