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Feed Our Needs - 2022 Round Up

Over Two Years: 1,700 Families Served

As the year comes to a close, Arete Education and The Collective Black Employee Resource Group (CFBERG) wanted to thank you for your generosity and support for the Feed Our Needs campaign. For the last two years were we able to raise $40,250 that was critical in supporting disenfranchised communities, as food insecurity continues to increase. 

Your contributions during challenging times enabled us to support Black- and Brown-owned restaurants who were key in sourcing meals that were distributed in the Bronx and Harlem. To date we have been able to feed over 1700 families and students, and in 2022 we partnered with JFFNYC who helped us to reach more families in need. We hope to continue this partnership and drive our mission investing in youth across New York City, we need your support to fulfill this mission in our communities. 

How You Can Help

We have several upcoming events that we need your help with in January! You can help pack warm clothing bags for families and serve hot meals at our next Feed Our Needs events during MLK Jr. Weekend (January 16th). Find out more ››

Our Impact

Across the city, you have helped make a difference in our communities! Since 2020, we have partnered with local NYC restaurants, The Collective CF BERG, South Bronx Mutual Aid, The Lab School, Harlem Police Athletic League, Harlem Lacrosse, Carvers Savings Bank, and Zeta Boule Fraternity.

 

Help Raise Funds for 2023 Events

We are actively fundraising now for our 2023 events. Please consider supporting us by or volunteering or OR making a donation..

 - 12/14/2022 - sbsd@areteeducation.org

Juneteenth Freedom Fest 2022 Impact

Arete Education and The Collective (CF BERG) partnered over the Juneteenth 2022 Holiday weekend to support the 2022 Juneteenth Freedom Fest NYC in Harlem.

We donated $5,000 in meal vouchers to residents of Harlem in partnership with NYC NYCHA offices and JFF Event staff to feed over 450 people at the event and support a local business partner, Casa Birria NYC! We are so proud to have expanded our Feed Our Needs Initiative to include this Juneteenth Freedom Fest Community Event.

Arete Education volunteers also hosted a youth Creative EQ Table, featuring local business-owner Nicoise Waring's Coisescape Black Arts experiences.

Closing, we extend a large appreciation to Arete Board members McEvans Francois and Kholofelo Mothibi for organizing the event alongside Barclays ERG leader Erica Fray and the 15 volunteers and financial support from Barclays, S&P Global, Mizuho, Nomura, Deutsche, USB, and Factset.

 - 06/22/2022 - sbsd@areteeducation.org
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Summer Bridge (Rising) Enrichment Club Highlights – Story Movers

We are excited to continue highlighting our enrichment clubs that were running ths summer. Story Movers was led by Rose Padilla and Yarley Martinez, alumni from The Lab School. In Story Movers, Rose and Yarely work hard with their students to allow them to showcase the skills that they have. Story movers is not only about students performing arts but expressing themselves. During the last week of program, they had decided to split up their class into different groups based on what the students wanted to do. One group which included around 5 students decided to practice a dance. The group of students made up their own dance, which I found amazing. Seeing students take the initiative and do something that normally is led by a facilitator was incredible. Not only did the students create the dance, there were other students who were practicing their singing while others were working on what they wanted to showcase. Seeing each of these students showcase their talent allows us to continue working with student talent all year round. 

 

We are excited to showcase more of the arts side to the program as it will allow us to continue showcasing the amazing talent that these students have. 

Each of these clubs holds a special place in our students' hearts, and so it's up to us to make sure that these students receive what they need. 

Be sure to check out our Instagram Page and Website for any updates, announcements or newsletter regarding the summer program.

 - 09/03/2021 - Mariyam Sumareh
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Summer Bridge (Rising) Enrichment Club Highlights - Creative EQ and Guitar

This week at The Lab School, we are diving into two enrichment activities at a time. Welcome to Creative EQ and Guitar

 

Creative EQ is led by Nicoise Waring, who specializes in SEL. SEL is Social Emotional Learning and EQ is Emotional Intelligence. With SEL, students are able to take a step back from all that they are dealing with for a moment. Students are able to perform breathing exercises, do check-ins and reflect on their day. It's important that everyone finds time in their day whether it's 5 minutes or 10 minutes to take a break from everything that they are doing and get in touch with themselves.

 

This week in Creative EQ, Ms. Waring led her students through making masks. One thing about Ms. Waring is that she loves showing her students new things while also acknowledging cultural events that happen around us. Students had the opportunity to either make masks on the Day of The Dead or do something related to the Black Lives Matter Movement

 

While in Guitar, which is led by Marcelo Cardozo, students were able to learn about music and the way that they can play. Mr. Cardozo has provided a safe space for the students to get comfortable enough to play a new instrument. 

 

While being in the classroom, we saw students learning a new piece of music. It was fascinating seeing the younger students play such an instrument with care and ease. Although these students were beginners to playing, they had the knowledge and right mentor leading them. Mr. Cardozo has been with The Lab School before, and so he knows how to handle our students with care. 

 

Each of these clubs holds a special place in our students' hearts, and so it's up to us to make sure that these students receive what they need. 

 

Stay tuned for next week's post as we will continue to highlight the different clubs that we have for Summer Bridge/Summer Rising! 

Be sure to check out our Instagram Page and sign up to receive our weekly newsletters regarding the summer program.

 - 07/30/2021 - Ismael Valentin, Jr.

Summer Bridge (Rising) - First Day!

Written by Mariyam Sumareh

Today marks the first day of Summer Bridge for the students at The Laboratory School of Finance & Technology! It is exciting to see many young faces gathered after the year we have experienced. Throughout today, students across the grades engaged in academic and enrichment activities.

We had over 100 students attend summer programming, and we are excited to keep the momentum going. One thing for sure is that today has been a success. It's exciting to know that this is some students' first time being in the building while doing their whole sixth grade experience virtually and were able to engage with their classmates and instructors.

Through all of the first day challenges, we were able to get it done thanks to the students’ flexibility and the drive of all of the amazing staff. Students were able to sample the enrichment activities, exploring and getting a taste of each club so that by the end of tomorrow they can choose where they would like to be for the remainder of the summer.

The enrichment activities available to students this summer are:

  1. Guitar

  2. Fitness & Sports

  3. Visual Arts

  4. Performing Arts

  5. Table Tennis

  6. Creative EQ/Ceramics

  7. STEM 101

  8. Debate

Take a look at what our students had to say about their first day:

“Today was awesome. I got to meet new teachers and classmates. I got to learn more stuff about the school. So now I’m prepared for the school year.” - Juelz Perdomo, 6th Grade

 

“My day went good because I got to make new friends and I got to see new faces. It was good to get to know the teachers” - Juliet Flores, 7th Grade

 

“My first day here today was fine as we did a lot of fun things like play a game for our birthdays and engaged in Ice breakers” - Anonymous student, 8th Grade

 - 07/07/2021 - sbsd@areteeducation.org
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Restoration=Power (Self-Care and BLM)

The Black Lives Matter movement is not something that has recently emerged in America-- it has resurfaced. For centuries, America has been a place that has constantly neglected the issues at hand regarding black people. There have been constant battles from the Civil Rights Movement in the mid 1950s to the late 1960s, to the modern day Black Lives Matter movement that was started back in 2013, which is still very relevant till this day. Our American system is built on principles made to serve white men, and has been buried by slogans like “liberty and justice for all,” when in reality justice has countless times never been served for the black innocent lives lost due to the systemic racism present. 

It has been the job of the people to stand against the corrupt American system and fight for basic human rights that everyone is entitled to. There should not be a fight, but there is. There has been, and it will continue until the system is truly changed to serve everyone like they promised. 

The Black Lives Matter movement is particularly important to me because most of my life up to this point, I’ve been influenced by so many black people who have shaped me in ways unimaginable. From my childhood friends, my mentors, music teachers, and my family members I have felt so closely connected to, I feel so enraged about the current state of the country and bias against people who I have felt so much love for. Fighting for your personal community is a form of advocacy I have been exercising. Contributing to this movement and understanding why it is so important, is part of my own growth through continuously learning about shared worries black people around me and nationally have.

The worries black people share nationwide through social media outlets like Twitter and Instagram, have educated me and have brought awareness to issues that are far from the surface. As I’ve read and read through countless posts, articles, and looked at pictures, it instantly made me think if everyone deeply affected by the issues at hand have been taking care of themselves. It made me worried that the strong black people I am so inspired by through their bravery, were looking within and finding ways to stay in touch with themselves. Mental health during these times is incredibly important because sharing with the world your traumas and fears can be draining, so recharging is essential in the restoration of power. Through restoring oneselves power, your voice will be used to its full potential and clearly heard by those like me who are allies. 

Self-Care & BLM 

Many people don’t think that self-care is important during these times because there are greater problems to worry about and advocate for. However, advocacy looks different for everyone, and can actually be tied to anything relating to the honoration of black lives. For example:

  • Painting/Drawing: Painting and drawing are effective ways to perform self care because your focus will be turned over into your art instead of everything else. The problems going on don’t have to be ignored, but instead brought to light through art. Painting and drawing your feelings can help liberate your mind from the stressors contributing to your current worries.
  • Journaling: Journaling is a way where you can be completely honest with yourself and spill everything you have been feeling onto a piece of paper that no one else has to read. This will help in the organization of thoughts and feelings, making it easier to understand yourself and your feelings. This can also help you realize what you truly want to use your voice for the next time you speak up.
  • Reading: Reading is a form of escape from the real world into other stories that have nothing to do with you. Pulling out a book to read can help ease your mind but also give you new perspectives as you go. By reading books by black writers, you can take a trip into one of their stories and connect through their words.
  • Exercise/Dancing: Having feelings of frustration can psychologically be released through exercising. Dancing, more specifically is a gift that can be twisted in a way to serve you physically but also mentally. It is exercise, but also a fun activity to do with your family and friends. During these tough times, putting on music by black artists and dancing will be a way to enhance black artists' voices through your own self care.
  • Listening to Music/Making Playlists: alongside dancing, listening to music can be a great way to amplify black voices. The stories hiding within music can be an escape from reality, similar to reading books, and you get exposure to the works of art that these artists hold dear to their hearts no matter the genre.

My preferred self care activities would be dance and listening to music since they come hand in hand. Dancing has always been a way for me to destress and recharge myself. During these times I have dedicated myself to learning some dance routines to songs by black artists that I admire. One of these artists being Lizzo. Lizzo is not only an icon of being confidently beautiful, but an inspiration to the black community in general. A black successful artist who has done nothing but spread positivity and light; she should be celebrated through times like these. Black lives matter, her life matters, her father, uncles, cousins, brothers lives matter, and all of her black fans that she inspires matter. 

More on BLM and Music

I decided to make a BLM Playlist and put together songs that I have been listening to throughout this month. There’s a variety of genres included within the playlist so you can either skip around or listen directly through the whole playlist. I recommend listening to the whole playlist because new black creators can be exposed to you, and by streaming their music as a form of self-care, their voices will be magnified. Black lives matter, these artists’ lives matter, their fathers, uncles, cousins, brothers lives matter, and all of the black fans that these artists inspire matter. Here is the link to my playlist:

https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/blm-explicit/pl.u-Ymb09NqTP8Pm8G9

I urge everyone to engage in a form of self care during these times. The Black Lives Matter battle is nowhere near over and the movement needs activists who are strong and powerful. Restoration of power is essential in working towards a changed future, and we will get there. Like Lizzo once said:

You know what I want above all things? I want people who are aware of my music right now, to believe in change.”

 - 08/10/2020 - Rose Padilla

50 Ways You Can Help

For the past couple of the days the BLM movement has turned into an unrest of wanting equality. Many people do not understand the movement because they fail to realize the privilege they have. Seeing several articles on how to stay in involved and what type of media you should be consuming so you are much more aware of what is going on. Here are a couple of lists of media I have seen that can help someone understand.

10 movies/shows you can watch that speak on these issues are...

  1. When They See Us (Netflix)
  2. 13th (Netflix)
  3. American Son (Netflix)
  4. See You Yesterday (Netflix)
  5. Dear White People (Netflix)
  6. Freedom Writers (Netflix)
  7. The Hate U Give (Hulu)
  8. If Beale Street Could Talk (Hulu)
  9. 16 Shots (Hulu)
  10. Hidden Figures (Hulu)

10 Children Book that speak about race...

  1. Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up To Be Malcolm X, Ilyasah Shabazz
  2. Let it Shine Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters, Andrea Davis Pinkney
  3. Something Happened in Our Town A Child's Story About Racial Injustice, Ann Hazzard, Marianne Celano, and Marietta Collins
  4. My Hair is a Garden, Cozbi A. Cabrera
  5. My Family Divided, Diane Guerrero
  6. Lailuh's Lunchbox, Reem Faruqi
  7. Moses: When Harriett Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, Carole Boston WeaherFord
  8.  Happy In Our Skin, Fran Manushkin
  9. Little Leaders Bold Women in Black History, Vashti Harrison
  10. A is for Activists, Innosanto Nagara

10 Petitions you can sign...

  1. Arrest Jared Campbell who maced little girl: http://chng.it/wGPvrnB98T
  2. Justice for Sandra Bland: http://chng.it/gMHfz8gsdc
  3. Justice for Breonna Taylor: http://chng.it/2LnHYJnrYK
  4. Justice for Ahmaud Arbery: http://chng.it/mMgKzRTq9w
  5. Implement Mandatory "I can't Breathe" Training to All Police Academies: http://chng.it/ZLqM5kDbF9
  6. Justice for Sean Reed: http://chng.it/VpdQYqxqkR
  7. Justice for Emerald Black: http://chng.it/XfMbjGmKGq
  8. Mandate Police force to take "Racial Biased Test": http://chng.it/MJLzvm8zbm
  9. "Hands Up Act": http://chng.it/xy4GvHDxfS
  10. Justice for George Floyd: http://chng.it/Rsns9HGJPp

10 Organizations you can donate to...

  1. Brooklyn Bail Fund: https://brooklynbailfund.org/
  2. Minnesota Freedom Fund: https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/
  3. This YouTube Video was created to donate if you don't have money. If you click on the link it will take you to the video and ads will play do not skip the ads and that money will be donated to different BLM organizations.
  4. Bail Fund: https://bailproject.org/
  5. Black Lives Matter Foundation: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019
  6. People's City Council Freedom Fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/peoples-city-council-ticket-fund
  7. Campaign Zero: https://www.joincampaignzero.org/
  8. Black Vision Collective: https://www.blackvisionsmn.org/
  9. Liberty Fund: https://www.libertyfund.org/
  10. Higher Heights Leadership Fund: https://www.higherheightsleadershipfund.org/donate/

10 Podcast to listen to...

  1. 1619- NY Times
  2. About Race
  3. Seeing White
  4. Code Switch
  5. The Diversity Gap
  6. Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast
  7. The Combahee River collective
  8. Pod Save the People
  9. Pod for the Cause
  10. Intersectionality Matters! Hosted by Kimberle Crenshaw

 

 - 06/06/2020 - Yaritza Montiel

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