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Bring The Arts Back to Ferguson Now

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Please help us bring back “Celebrate Children” Dance Program to Ferguson-Florissant School District. We Need You Now!

Please watch the video to learn more:


With all of the negative attention brought to our #Ferguson community and Ferguson-Florissant School District, especially following the shooting of #MikeBrown and the subsequent unrest in our children's surrounding neighborhoods, we are working to bring back something positive for our children.


Who Are We?

We are a ceaseless group of parents, fighting to bring the arts, and dance, in particular, back to our children after the Ferguson-Florissant School District canceled this beautiful program this year, due to low funds. "Celebrate Children" was a most positive dance and arts program for our youth that was cut this 2014-2015 school year-- the worst time ever.

We're not taking sides, but we do realize that our children are living in a uniquely stressful environment in which there are on-going, daily protests, civil unrest, and an overall tense environment.

Our Goals:

We are fighting to inspire, encourage, and most of all, motivate our children in a post-and-PRESENT-traumatic stress environment, to achieve academic and personal excellence through the arts, and dance in particular. We desperately need your help through financial donations and sharing of this information.

Since the district informed us at the last minute that this program was being cut, we have less than 1 month to raise $30,000 to ensure that our children have this positive outlet.

What is Celebrate Children?

"Celebrate Children" was founded in 1996 by Betsy Anderson and Carl Yochum, retired educators of the Ferguson-Florissant School District, who devoted their time before school and on Saturdays to work with our children around positive objectives. 
 

Inspired by the teaching model of National Dance Institute in New York City, "Celebrate Children" has inspired over 5,000 children. The National Dance Institute was founded by ballet star and 1995 Kennedy Honor Recipient, Jacques d’Amboise in 1976.
 
Why is Celebrate Children so Important?

"Celebrate Children" is based on the belief that the arts, and dance, in particular, can inspire children to achieve excellence, both academically, and in their personal lives. Children who participate in the program discover the power of the arts through dance, discipline, teamwork and a pride in achievement that supported their success in school and in life.

For many of our participants, the "Celebrate Children" performance was the grand finale of the school year, creating memories that last a lifetime. "Celebrate Children" participants have shown improvement in school attendance and a positive attitude toward school and self.

Children Perform in a Professional Stage Production:

Our children became stars and shone, dancing with no prior training in just tennis shoes and T-shirts.

Through the program children learned positive character traits, a love for the arts, and dance, in particular, and had the opportunity to work with real choreographers. Additionally, they performed on a professional stage with live, professional musicians.
 
Our Program is Diverse and Inclusive:

The students who participated in our program come from 20 district schools -- from each of our 17 elementary schools and three middle schools. They represent grades 6, 7, and 8. Every child is eligible for selection. Children willing to commit to attending a before-school class write a letter of self-nomination.

The program director then meets with the school principal, program liaison or counselor, to select the team that will represent each school and perform in the Event of the Year in the Spring. All "Celebrate Children" classes are held before school or on Saturdays. 
 
Year after year, students and parents alike have enjoyed this unique and exciting program and culminating performance in May.  

We are fighting to inspire, encourage, and most of all, motivate our children in a post-and-PRESENT-traumatic stress environment, to achieve academic and personal excellence through the arts, and dance in particular.

Why Celebrate Children Dance Program Is So Important:

With all of the absolute horror that our children are enduring each and every day and night as this CONTINUES to plague our community, our district has chosen to kill a bright beacon of hope, without so much as a warning.

This was a beautiful dance program called "Celebrate Children", which built self-esteem and a myriad of other positive character traits (in an environment in which our children are being torn down from every direction).

The Arts, Destroyed in Florissant:

This fine program was canceled this year, due to the distict’s refusal to earmark funding for it, although the sports programs are fully funded.

Many of our youth will be relegated to the street with nowhere to go because what once inspired over 5,000 children in our area is now GONE. What once brought a cross-section of all of our children from across the entire school district of Fergson-Florissant, including diverse races, which is needed NOW more than ever, is now gone. What once gave our children hope and positive activity is now gone.

What is The Expectation for Our Children:

We must now beg the question, “What is the expectation for our children? Achievement or _________?” You fill in the blanks. We need your help. We simply can NOT do this without your help. We are fighting to get "Celebrate Children" back. We are fighting to provide viable options for our children. We are fighting to save our children. We are fighting for excellence. Our kids need and deserve this. We need your help.

Celebrate Children Brings All Our Students Together, All Races:

We still have issues of race to deal with. "Celebrate Children" is the ONLY program in our district that brings together hundreds of children from every elementary and junior high school from across the entire district.

The program has been so valuable to our young people that high school and college alumni have come back to participate and mentor our youth every year. If this were of any importance at any time in our area’s history, it is especially necessary now. We need to bring all of our children together in a positive situation such as this.

We all know the stats. The arts, and dance, in particular bring people together. The arts, and dance, in particular transcends race, religion, socioeconomic, and party lines.

We need it now. Florissant needs it now. Ferguson-Florissant School District needs it now. We need you right now. Will you just watch us being continually torn apart? Will you please help us help ourselves and our children? We need you right now.

We need your help. Please share and follow #Ferguson #BringBackCelebrateChildren

We need you right now.

Thank you,

"Celebrate Children" Dance Kids and Parents
of Ferguson-Florissant School District

Organizer

Leah Jewel Alexander
Organizer
Florissant, MO

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