Art Center

In School Programs

DY Prep

• “I think that is important to study art because it is a form of expression. It allows you to say what is on your mind. Whether or not I become a professional artist will not change the fact that tomorrow is probable not going to be the last work of art that I make.”

  - Christopher Aracena, Participant

• “They [teaching artists] teach me the skills I need to know to be a better actress, and to be aware of my surroundings. But, also to do something for the community. They support my ideas and encourage me to put them into action, they’ve helped me through the college process and gave me advice on how to become a better human being.”

  - Acting Participant

• “Whether they [Students] become visual artists or not, I think it is important for them to be able to articulate themselves. The program helps students improve their speaking, leadership & collaboration skills. They learn to work together with each other, the community and other partnering groups.”

  - Carla Repice, DreamYard Teaching Artist

• “Since joining the program, I’ve grown immensely! When I first started, I was shy, extremely shy and I had low self-esteem. But now, I’m open-minded, more outspoken, confident and I am way more comfortable with who I am.”

  - Participant

• “I am so proud of my work with the ACTION Project because it was a challenge, and because I stepped outside of myself and learned what it felt like to be a artivist (an activist and an artist); it was truly a transformative experience.”

  - Michael Torres, Participant

• “DreamYard made their move to Washington Avenue when my family and I really neeeded creative/artistic activities outside our home and in our immediate neighborhood. So thank you very much. You are a godsend!”

  - Beatrice Richardson, Parent

• “I currently have three children involved in the OSP. Two of my sons are taking dance and my other son is taking poetry. I have seen my children become more independent and more confident about their abilities to do anything they want. OSP Minis has had a positive impact on me and my family. We have the opportunity to celebrate their greater achievements through dance recitals, poetry slams, artwork presentations and theater performances. DreamYard is an amazing place for children. When you walk into the building the staff and parents are warm and friendly. I hope that DreamYard continues to do the remarkable work that they are doing. They have brought the best out of my children…”

  - Tawana Edwards, Parent

• “A.C.T.I.O.N. gave me the will of fire! The experiences I’ve had and the things that I’ve learned can definitely be used for many other aspects in life. To me, ACTION helped me figure out what purpose I want to serve in life.”

  - Angel Matos, Participant

• “Thank you DreamYard for such a wonderful time yesterday. My little boys Jayden,Jaycob and Julius Santos had so much fun..they are very grateful and excited to use their new backpacks and supplies @ school. The DreamYard team did such a great job. My children are looking forward to the new adventures that await them at program this year.”

  - Destiny Nesa, Parent

• “Inspiration is the first word that comes to mind when I think about the environment at DreamYard Out of School Programs. DreamYard OSP is a place that is surrounded with so much talent and passion and, more importantly, love. Being involved in an environment like this sparks the mind and the soul. It made me believe that there are no boundaries or limits on what I could do. I am very grateful to had been welcomed in a place where my thoughts and ideas were allowed to bloom; where I could take a simple object such as a pencil and create a master piece. It is a place where my voice was heard and any idea I mentioned was appreciated. The best thing about the DreamYard OSP is that not only is it a place where they are helping me, but they are dedicated to helping the community as well-both locally, nationally and internationally. Everything I was taught was used to help build communities.”

  - Kristy Brito, Participant

• “Everything we do involves the curriculum in someway. It ‘s not just art, you are teaching math but instead of in a work book, you are doing it in water colors.”

  - Diana Evans, DreamYard Teaching Artist

• “Art changed me because it made me see a different side of life. If I look at a tree I can see the art in it, how real it is, and if an artist were to draw the same tree it will look just as real.”

  - Marlene, Participant

• “One goal that I have for the future is to change something that I think is not so great in our community…What I’ve learned at DreamYard can help me because I can tell (other people) and maybe have an influence on them just as DreamYard has had on me…then I will know that I really do have a voice…”

  - Manuel, Participant

• “I shine when my students shine. They really enjoyed DreamYard. It gave them the opportunity to think outside of the box in the classroom.”

  - Carmen Ocassio PS 246, Creative Arts Coaching Partner Teacher

• “The Bronx Arts Learning Community is a way to connect with educators from other schools around the arts, find out what is happening and compare challenges and solutions. It’s great to share with other schools, otherwise we feel disconnected.”

  - Art Teacher, PSMS 95

• “I feel the arts are essential for educating the entire student and child. I know at PS 51, the experience of going to school would not be the same without our DreamYard partnership. I know our staff looks forward to their collaboration with DreamYard every year. My kids love the BALC. They look forward to performing every June as they get to share their music and visual arts with other students in the Bronx, and they get to see other students in their neighborhoods and what they have been up to with arts learning. They get a thrill with our collaboration with PS 32 in the BALC chorus, and over the past year there is bonding between our students, making our community stronger. DreamYard has created an event that has become part of our school’s arts culture, and is a fantastic celebration of arts learning for the community it serves.”

  - Caroline Barnes, PS51 Partner Teacher

• “The arts build a better community. If we didn’t have the arts, we would just have the basic things, math, science, reading and so forth. But because we do have the arts, we expose the kids to a lot of other things that are going on in the world. When you have the arts in the school, it allows the parents to see a different side of the school system.”

  - Helena Ortiz, PS 51 Parents Coordinator

• “I think the arts have had a really nice impact on my students’ learning in that DreamYard is always connected to some type of content that we are learning in class. What I think it does is to give students a more in-depth way to understand that content. It gives them a different perspective and it broadens their thoughts about specific topics.”

  - Kevin Won, Partner Classroom Teacher

• Marc, our DreamYard teaching artist, makes what we learn more interesting and fun to learn about. I’m a good artist. My friends say I am, my mom and dad say I am, and my teacher, Ms. Rhonda, says I am, and Marc does too. And I just love it when I get compliments on my drawings. My advice to younger students is to always try your best. Never give up. If you draw something and you don’t like it, start over again, and start over again, and over again until you make it the best that you can.”

  - Sydney Ogude, Student

• “DreamYard does not just teach the discipline but they teach the child. That is vitally important. They understand the development and learning processes of children, and so they work wonderfully with our school.”

  - Paul Smith, Partner Principal

• “I wrote this poem because I was empowered by the thoughts that came to me during class. We did an exercise about sensory detail and adding figurative language. I used what I learned in that exercise to revise this poem by adding more details. I learned how to write stronger poems because the DY Prep poets have helped me.”

  - Rozalynn Rondon, Student

• “I wrote this poem because I wanted people other than my family to be able to know all the cherishing moments we’ve experienced together. I wanted my readers to be able to feel how I felt and to see what I saw. I wanted them to be able to know me through my poetry.”

  - Khaiya Martinez, Student

• “The thing I like best about DreamYard Prep is that we help each other, no matter where you come from.”

  - Grecia Romero, Student

• “Art gave me the opportunity to express myself without language. I was good at it, and I learned so much about myself by being an art major….When I don’t do well on a test or an assignment, I study harder to see if I can get a better grade the next time.”

  - Grecia Romero, Student

• “I have had an outstanding high school experience. DY Prep is like a family. I’m very proud that already I can say I have done so much, seen so much. Trips such as the one to the White House and to the NYCORE conferene were really great experiences. I have been so motivated to continue to use art to make a diiference. Also, seeing how my teachers are doing what they love and are successful at it. This gives me the confidence to go for what I believe in and not settle for a career that wont be fulfillng for me.”

  - Lydia Villa, Student