2017 Youth Programs Impact Report Inspiring Creativity in Everyone 2017 Youth Programs Impact Report | 1 LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dear Friends, We all know what a special place The Crucible is, with our amazing programs in metal and glass – in foundry, welding, glass blowing, blacksmithing, and more – and our equally high-quality programs in kinetics, woodworking, leather, ceramics – and so much more. It wasn’t until I joined The Crucible as their Executive Director at the end of July 2018 that I realized just how YOUTH PROGRAM GOALS much The Crucible supports creative exploration and discovery by local youth ages 8-18. To provide engaging, high-quality arts More than 5,500 young people participated in hands-on programming at a free or reduced cost. STEAM learning and original art-making at our space Increase opportunities for undeserved and in West Oakland this past year. More than half of those at-risk young people from Oakland and the young folks were Oakland residents who participate at a greater Bay Area to actively participate in free or reduced cost in our community events and after- the arts. school, weekend, and summer programs. We’ve been doing this work for more than thirteen years, and have Create significant relationships with had the privilege of seeing young people who start in key stakeholders: youth, parents, schools, elementary or middle school become teenage Fuego and community-based organizations. Leaders, evolve into Crucible teaching assistants, then To inspire a new generation of fine professional instructors. and industrial artists, enriching the In a time when expressing creativity as an act of local community. resistance and learning STEAM skills are both critical to thrive, The Crucible’s youth programs are an ever more essential part of our vision and mission. Our entire staff is committed to the arts-focused STEM/STEAM learning system we have developed and perfected over the 2017 HIGHLIGHTS past eight years. And we are so proud of the pathways that allow young students to engage with The Crucible Distributed over $100,000 in youth through the Bike Program, field trips, workshops, and $ scholarships to experience and participate move into classes of increasing difficulty, culminating in in the fine and industrial arts paid internships for our most engaged and advanced Provided inspiring educational experiences students. to over 5,500 young people Read on to learn more about how The Crucible and our Invested in the makers of tomorrow with school partners have leveraged the significant impact that over 30 paid leadership and workforce arts education and positive role models have on young development positions people through the industrial arts. This is the future, and we want it to shine so bright for our youth. Offered free field trips for over 850 Oakland youth Best, Served 80% of all youth free of charge Partnered with over 40 Bay Area schools to provide field trips, workshops, hands-on presentations, and studio tours Susan Mernit, Executive Director [email protected] P.S. If you’d like to engage in or support our youth programs, please get in touch! 2 | 2017 Youth Programs Impact Report FUEGO YOUTH PRE-APPRENTICE WHERE THE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM STUDENT PROGRAM BECOMES THE Pg. TEACHER Pg. 9 Pg. 8 10 TREE OF CONTENTS The Crucible is dedicated to inspiring creative growth in Oakland and the Greater Bay Area, and our Youth Programs are a crucial part of that mission. The majority Pg. YOUTH CLASSES of youth who experience our programs visit The & CAMPS Crucible for a field trip, community Bike Fix-A-Thon, 7 Open House, or get inspired at an off-site community event. That initial exposure to what you can make with your hands inspires some youth to join us in the studios for an afterschool class or weeklong camp, where they can learn a new skill in one of fourteen art departments. The most committed and dedicated students then go on to participate in our Fuego Youth Leadership Program, Pre-Apprentice Program, with some eventually joining The Crucible’s regular faculty. Pg. Pg. 4 Pg. 6 5 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FIELD TRIPS BIKE PROGRAM & PARTNERSHIPS 2017 Youth Programs Impact Report | 3 FIELD TRIPS É PROGRAM AT A GLANCE For many young people, The Crucible’s free Field Trips offered to Oakland public schools and Title I schools are their first exposure to the industrial arts and art making. During our Field Trips, youth witness demonstrations by artists and industry experts in Glass Flameworking, Glass Blowing, Welding, Blacksmithing, Foundry, and more. In- structors describe the processes, tools, and applications they use to make projects from metal, glass, and other materials, inspiring youth to make connections between the arts and sciences. Our field trips support academic studies in schools that face socio-economic barriers, and are often where youth first learn about The Cruci- ble’s classes, youth scholarships, Fuego Youth Leader- ship Program, and more! “I came here for a school Field Trip and because I wasn’t exposed to a lot of these areas at that 2017 HIGHLIGHTS age, I was pretty mesmerized and thought ‘I really want to take classes here,’” Katia Navidad Rallon 973 students visited The Crucible on explains. After her Field Trip, Katia applied for February 23, April 27, and June 1 for a youth scholarship, taking classes in multiple Field Trip Day disciplines then later participating in our Pre- 90% of the youth visited The Crucible at Apprentice Program. Katia has continued to work no cost to the school with her hands, becoming an instructor in the Woodworking Department, and works as our 23 different schools participated in a Woodshop Technician. She is currently working for a Field Trip Day woodworking fabrication studio in San Francisco. 4 | 2017 Youth Programs Impact Report BIKE PROGRAM 2017 HIGHLIGHTS 153 youth were served at the Bike Fix-A-Thons 222 youth recieved free bike repair during drop-in hours 11 bicycles were gifted to local area youth who had no functioning bicycles to ride 26 bicycles valued at $100 each were É PROGRAM AT A GLANCE built by youth in our Earn-A-Bike The Crucible’s Bike Program is a free year-round Program community outreach program that addresses personal transportation needs. The Bike Program promotes an alternative, sustainable mode of transportation, while providing essential bike repair services to our community, diverting useable/salvageable waste from landfills, and reinforcing reuse of materials. Since 2005, over 7,000 youth have participated in The Crucible’s Bike Program, and thousands of bicycles have been repaired to nearly-new status. At our Bike Fix-A-Thons, bicycles are repaired for free by a fleet of dedicated volunteers and Crucible staff members. “Going to a bike shop and getting your bike repaired by a mechanic really isn’t an affordable option for a lot of people,” explains Ismael Plasencia, our Youth Programs Associate. During our Bike Fix-A-Thons, volunteers and staff work to fix as many bikes as possible, getting people back on the road, with safe, functioning bikes. Repairs include flat tire repair, wheel and tire work, brake and gear repair, chain repair, and seat and handlebar adjustments. The Earn-a-Bike Program provides West Oakland youth with hands-on experience in welding and bike mechanics. In this six-week workshop, youth work with volunteer bike mechanics to fix donated bikes, repairing two bikes and keeping one. The other bike is sold to raise money to support our Bike Program. Twins Dania and Madison, age 6, didn’t have bikes that fit them. But at The Crucible’s Bike Fix-A-Thon, they both received a free refurbished bike from our Bike Shop. 2017 Youth Programs Impact Report | 5 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & PARTNERSHIPS Students from West Oakland Middle School have sold their art at our GIFTY Open House since 2009, exposing them to the process of selling their work and the multitude of opportunities for them to create at The Crucible. When Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf visited GIFTY, she purchased a pair of earrings made by eleven year-old Eric. This was Eric’s first time vending at our GIFTY Open House and his first sale as an artist. “Young people need a challenge, the opportunity to create, build confidence, focus, and move outside their comfort zone. The Crucible provides this and much more,” explains Sharon Wasserman, one of Eric’s teachers at West Oakland Middle School. 2017 HIGHLIGHTS Participated in over 30 community events, including East Bay Mini Maker Fair and Life is Living É PROGRAM AT A GLANCE Provided affordable rental The Crucible seeks to engage the West Oakland community and studios for 30 working artists beyond, through on- and off-site events, free tours twice a month, Got hands-on with 560 youth participation in local festivals and fairs, collaborating with local in workshops and community artists, and building public art pieces. In 2017, The Crucible hosted projects in a dozen different local community events, including two Open Houses, four nights industrial arts disciplines of the fire fashion show Hot Couture, and three days of GIFTY, our We partnered with 41 public annual craft show, as well as participating in numerous local and and private schools regional events, inviting the community to experience the inspiring power and possibility of the industrial arts. *See the Appendix on page 14 for a full list of our community engagement and partnerships. 6 | 2017 Youth Programs Impact Report COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT YOUTH CLASSES & PARTNERSHIPS AND CAMPS Gabrael grew up down the street, and found out about The Crucible watching his older brother, Robert, take class after class with the help of our need-based scholarship program.