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Since 1983 Children's Place has offered a wide range of flexible, accessible, FREE early learning & family support programs. Today we serve over 2000 families from 11 different locations in central west Toronto. Programs include: family drop-ins, child development activities focusing on & exploring senses & developing motor skills, occasional childcare, community outreach, family literacy, food & nutrition support, parent & caregiver support & education, peer contact & mutual support, play & recreation, health & safety promotion, information about & referrals to other resources, toy & book lending. Our staff and volunteers are able to communicate in different languages including English, Portuguese, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Somali, Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu & Italian. Participants include: young children 0 to 6, parents, expectant parents, very young parents, parents/caregivers/children with special needs, grandparents, nannies & home providers, newcomer & immigrant families.

Founded in 2010, the Charleston International Music School (CIMS) provides excellence in performing arts education here in the Low Country, as well as on a national and global level. Students from around the world are coached by CIMS' international faculty in solo and chamber music performance, as well as music theory, choir, and ear training. CIMS' hallmark is the powerful sense of connection and enthusiasm that it fosters in both students and faculty alike. Students work and perform with musicians of different backgrounds and nationalities, learning to communicate through their music-making. This intensive program creates the best conditions for gifted young musicians to flourish. Our programs are tailored to each student’s level and development, including private lessons, music theory, ear training, chamber music, choir, master classes with CIMS faculty and visiting artists, as well as extracurricular seminars. Throughout our two week Summer festival, students perform at various venues including historical sites in downtown Charleston. Local students study privately with CIMS Faculty, and participate in masterclasses and recitals year round. All CIMS concerts are open to the public and free of charge.

"Mentivity aims to mentor and support as many of our young people, families, schools and the wider community as possible, to enhance social cohesion, social mobility, improve educational outcomes and raise aspirations for our youth. "An opportunity to create a safe space where mentees can meaningfully engage through active collaboration, pursue experiences via guided discovery that will elevate their personal, academic and social advancement/progression/expansion. Established upon honesty, respect and trust whilst nurturing their passions. Equipping our mentees with increased resilience needed to overcome adversity and alter their life trajectories. To create safer communities in which individuals and families can thrive" Our passion and drive to improve the personal, social, educational and employment outcomes for our young people will always be at the very heart of our work. Mentivity are committed to helping and assisting our young people, giving them the opportunity to achieve their true potential and shape their futures through empowerment, accountability, critical thinking, perseverance, responsibility and humility. We believe in creating a long-lasting legacy so that our much needed work and support continues on within our communities indefinitely through our network of Mentivity mentees.

The House of the Historic Foundation's purpose is to protect, preserve, maintain, and restore the House of the Temple located in Washington, D.C. The House of the Temple serves as the headquarters for the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A. Located within the House of the Temple are the museum, archives, and library. The museum has been open to the public since 1915 and houses many unique and important exhibits. These artifacts and important documents have been, and will always be, open and free to the public. They cast important light on significant individuals and events in American history. The building was designed by the famous architect John Russell Pope. The House of the Temple was his first monumental commission. It garnered him the attention of the architectural community, leading to many awards and commissions in the District, such as the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, National Archives, and the National Gallery of Art-West Building. The building's design was widely praised by contemporary architects, and it won John Russell Pope the Gold Medal of the Architectural League of New York in 1917. Fiske Kimball's 1928 book American Architecture describes it as "an example of the triumph of classical form in America". In the 1920s, a panel of architects named it "one of the three best public buildings" in the United States, along with the Nebraska State Capitol and the Pan-American Union headquarters building in Washington, D.C. In 1932, it was ranked as one of the ten top buildings in the country in a poll of federal government architects. The House of the Temple is designated as a contributing property to the Sixteenth Street Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The Temple's Library is the first free library opened in the District of Columbia and remains so today. It contains books on Freemasonry, including history, philosophy, symbolism, poetry, lodge proceedings, and periodicals. Because of its historical value, researchers from around the globe request access to the library. The Archives are the repository of the official records of the Scottish Rite. They house the original documents dealing with our founding, rituals, and current domestic and international affairs. Two main storage areas comprise the Archives. They are not generally open to the public. Because Freemasons assisted in the foundation of our Republic, including many signers of the Declaration of Independence, the writing of the Constitution, and a number of Presidents including George Washington and Franklin Roosevelt, the value of the Archives in explaining the philosophy and purposes of the Masonic Order is very significant. The Temple is currently undergoing a capital improvement project. One of the main focuses is to improve safety, such as a new railing outside, new windows and improvement to the facade, and installing an elevator to meet ADA compliance. Ensuring this building is here for many generations to enjoy will rely on the generosity of many.

Our mission is to restore a sense of dignity and pride in young Egyptian women by building their self-confidence and empowering them mentally and physically to develop themselves. Heya Masr targets disadvantaged young girls and boys aged 6-18 to strengthen their character. We do this by providing a safe and nurturing environment for physical activities, nutritional and healthy lifestyle education, character development activities, sexual harassment, and bullying awareness and self-defense strategies. We believe that to make an impact, and we need to educate both young women and men equally. Heya Masr is empowering a young generation of girls and boys now for a better Egypt tomorrow. Heya Masr uniquely targets girls at an early age since we rely on UN studies (1) that indicate that behavioral changes occur at the early stages of development. This approach helps us equip women with mechanisms to rise above the negative impacts of extreme deprivation, abuse, and other adversities in their most formative years of development. We seek a proactive impact on women during adolescence to become stronger, more confident, and independent, thereby positively influencing future generations in Egypt. (1)UN Study: Changing perspectives on early childhood: theory, research, and policy by Martin Woodhead 2006

from the website: Navarasa Dance Theater's mission is to make the arts accessible to all through performances, classes and social awareness. We believe that the performing arts are a source of inspiration for society, a means of expression and an integral part of every person's life. Art is not just a pastime of the privileged; it is a necessity for all. Furthermore, Navarasa Dance Theater believes that art is an effective and powerful medium to create awareness and to mobilize people for positive social change. Navarasa works with all forms of arts to create social justice awareness and to empower people, especially people of color and people from low-income communities. Navarasa Dance Theater offers classes in Bharatanatyam Classical Dance, Kalari ppayattu Martial Arts, Yoga (in-studio and online); as well as workshops in Aerial dance Mallakhamb rope and pole, Ways of Expression (Story telling through your body), Physical Theater for Emotional Expression, Contemporary Dance in a multi-cultural world, Acting for Dancers, Movement for Actors, and Voice. Navarasa's Dance for Everyone program offers free training and scholarships in performing arts for low-income students of dance and martial arts, with programs in Kerala, India; Boston, MA and Los Angeles, CA. Navarasa's touring dance theater company has performed in Asia, North America and Europe for almost 20 years.

The Association of Performing Arts Presenters develops and supports a robust performing arts presenting field and the professionals who work in it. VALUES: Artistic expression - We foster an appreciation for the performing arts among our members and their audiences. The performing arts, in all of their diverse forms, offer a way for people to know and understand themselves. Live performance is a universal form of communication and is fundamental to civic community life. Knowledge - We value the opportunity for members to share with and learn from one another, drawing upon their more than 50 years of collective wisdom. Continually building new skills, developing leadership, seeking greater insights, and challenging convention fosters innovation and encourages new thinking among our members and advances the overall health of the performing arts presenting field. Cultural inclusivity - We believe the performing arts bridges differences among individuals, communities and cultures. For the performing arts to flourish, we must have cultural diversity in our membership, our organizations, our presentations, and our audiences. VISION for the FUTURE: The Association envisions a world where all people experience the transformative power of live performance the performing arts presenting field is strong and vibrant -- a world where performing artists are integral to all communities, where ideas circulate vigorously and freely, and where people from all cultures affirm and understand themselves and each other through the arts.

Storycatchers Theatre guides young people to transform their traumatic experiences into powerful musical theatre, inspiring them to develop the courage and vision to become leaders and mentors. By creating support for youth within the criminal justice system, Storycatchers prepares them to change their lives and emerge successfully from court involvement. Storycatchers was founded in 1984 to create and perform original musicals inspired by the stories of middle and high school students. In 1990, the company began developing its immersive residential program model for system-impacted youth at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center. It was at this time that the methodology expanded to incorporate the youth into the full process of writing and performing as a way to explore and begin to move beyond past trauma. Storycatchers initiated a remarkable partnership with the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice in 2002 when the company moved into the Illinois Youth Center-Warrenville, where Storycatchers established its nationally recognized, award-winning process of delivering creative youth development programs through a trauma lens. Storycatchers has been conducting year-round residential programs in three separate facilities since 2010. In 2014, the company expanded into post-release support with the Changing Voices performing arts jobs program for young people ages 17-24 returning to Chicago.Storycatchers amplifies and elevates the voices of youth impacted by the carceral state, empowering them to envision and pursue productive post-release futures of their choosing.

A large part of The Museum's focus is to collect and preserve historic vehicles, and a great deal of importance was placed from day one on acquiring a great number of significant vehicles of all shapes, sizes, makes, models, and purposes. As the Museum's popularity grew as a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit educational institution, people came to realize that it was the perfect tax deductible home for their prized possession. Our first donation was a beautifully restored 1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 Cabriolet from Annapolis, Maryland. Since then, we have taken in donations from all over the world varying greatly from single vehicles, to multiple vehicle collections, rare automobile components, artwork, photographs, books, and automobilia. Our education programs are built around the curriculum of the California educational system, making The Petersen an excellent place to take children on a field trip. Our free bus program ensures that children that come from disadvantage schools can still visit The Museum. We educate people of all ages. From monthly Discovery Days in our Discovery Center, to Teacher Salary Point Workshops, to a full complement of very knowledgeable docents who volunteer their time every day to help educate visitors, we do our best to make sure that everyone who leaves The Petersen Automotive Museum learns something.

Story Tapestries is a leading arts service organization that serves our Montgomery County, Maryland community and beyond through: 1) Professional performances in storytelling, theater, dance, spoken word and other art forms in a variety of public spaces including community centers, local theaters, libraries, and schools; and 2) Workshops and in-depth training programs for adults and children to develop skills in various art forms, cultivating how to use the performing, visual, and literary arts to develop their voice, share their stories and increase their literacy, social-emotional and STEAM skills. We use the arts as a bridge to increase accessibility and equity in educational and community settings. Our aim is to establish coalitions of organizations and individuals prepared to support meaningful, long-lasting arts-based programs. Since becoming a 501c3 in 2010, we have reached more than 840,000 individuals collaborating with over 1,300 organizations. We present programs employing a team of 30 professional artists, who are also master educators. Our motto “Empower. Educate. Engage.” guides us to create collaborative arts programs that cater to communities’ needs through free or affordable performing arts events and workshops for families, children, community leaders, artists and educators. We collaborate with local arts and humanities organizations to design sustainable, multi-year arts programs with support from individual donors, foundations, corporations and government entities.

The Battery Conservancy, a non-profit educational corporation, was created in 1994 to revitalize The Battery and renew the spirit of Castle Clinton National Monument, the park's major landmark. The goal is to return The Battery and Castle to their historic roles as the center of cultural life in the Harbor and Downtown New York. The historic Battery, at the southern tip of Manhattan, is one of the most visited parks in New York City. An estimated 6 million people visit The Battery and the Castle annually, including national and international tourists, school children, and local residents and workers in Downtown Manhattan. Sweeping views of the Harbor and the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island frame the setting for New York's premier waterfront park. Visitors stroll along the 1500-foot Admiral Dewey Promenade at the water's edge, which is also the point of departure for the many ferries taking people to harbor attractions. The park's 25 acres are home to 21 monuments, memorials and works of art, many related to the Battery's role in the history of immigration and defense. The Conservancy plays a pivotal role among organizations vitally interested in the future of The Battery, the downtown district, the waterfront, the quality of community life and the environment in New York. New York City owns and maintains Battery Park through the Department of Parks & Recreation; the U.S. government owns and maintains Castle Clinton through the National Park Service; and both are major sites in New York State's Harbor Heritage Area. Warrie Price, founding President of the Conservancy, serves as the City's Battery Park Administrator and the State's Heritage Area Director.

The Art Launch mission is to empower artists to thrive and not just survive. The goal of Art Launch is to forever defeat the stereotype of the struggling artist. To accomplish this goal, Art Launch manages and funds the empowering Escapist Mentorship Program. Founded in 2009 by renowned Houston artist John Ross Palmer, the program gives emerging artists an entire year's worth of one-on-one coaching from a successful, seasoned and currently-working artist on all aspects of entrepreneurial skills: marketing, sales strategy, artwork pricing, price negotiation, event hosting, savvy social networking, tax basics, retaining exclusivity, charitable giving through art and overall professional confidence. The program has had applicants from all over the world. Since 2014, the program was elevated by providing the “Escapist Artists" the ultimate-artist-training-ground and ideal environment for educating artists on business. “The Chrysalis" is a 1,600 sq. ft. art complex with three spacious art studios and a chic gallery. During the year, with mentoring every step of the way, each Escapist Artist is responsible for hosting every aspect of a solo art show. They are further critiqued and given detailed feedback on their presentation by volunteer, “secret" judges that attend their solo shows. There is a $20 fee to apply to the program. Afterwards, the program is entirely free for the Escapist Artists. At the conclusion of the program, Escapist Artists have the confidence and skill set to be self-sufficient artist businesspersons that have control over their own financial destiny. They are not tied to the traditional “art gallery system."