Arts Ignite (formerly ASTEP)

We are proud to be partnered with The Young Women's Leadership School of Staten Island and Brooklyn. Thank you to Student Leadership Network for this wonderful feature on our Let's Dance! residencies, which focus on encouraging students to increase their creativity and multiple social emotional core capacities such as relationship skills, self-awareness, and responsible decision-making (among more)! Happy #WomensHistoryMonth!

Happy 19th Birthday, Arts Ignite! ??? For 19 years, Arts Ignite has been sparking creativity and empowering young people through the arts. This milestone is a celebration of everyone who has been part of our journey—including YOU! Join the party by sharing your favorite Arts Ignite memory, quote, or photo! And to keep the magic going, visit our website and donate $19 in honor of our 19th year. Every gift helps us reach more young people and create more unforgettable moments! Let’s celebrate together—tag us and share your memories! ?????? #ArtsIgnite19

In addition to our inspiring featured speakers, the WholeGirl+ Education National Conference will feature an incredible lineup of breakout sessions led by educators for educators! ?? This year’s conference theme, “Future Pathways: Educating Girls+ in the Next Digital Age,” will explore how technology influences students, schools, and the information they encounter. We’re thrilled to be joined by breakout session presenters from leading organizations, including: -Riley's Way Foundation -Schools Consent Project? -NYC Department of Education -Girls Who Code -National Education Equity Lab -New Visions for Public Schools -The Texas Girls School -Arts Ignite (formerly ASTEP) -Ivy Preparatory Academy at Kirkwood for Girls -The Young Women’s Leadership Schools -Girls Leadership? -Revision Learning -The Harnisch Foundation, Funny Girls -Albany Leadership Charter High School for Girls -Ruling Our eXperiences, Inc. (ROX) -Young Women's College Prep Charter School/Foundation -Diapers 2 Deposits -The Social Institute -Kansas City Girls Preparatory Academy -Teachers College, Columbia University -Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington -PushBlack -Young Women's Preparatory Network The conference is quickly approaching, but it’s not too late to join us! Mark your calendars for March 16-18, 2025, in NYC and register today: https://lnkd.in/gPDpSbDG #WholeGirl #WGENC2025? #FuturePathways #Education #EdTech #GirlsEducation #EducationConference #GirlsSchools

WE ARE LAUNCHING INTO THE NYTE, 2025! ?? On Tuesday, we started our first Newcomer Youth Theater Experience residency at P.S.152Q, one of our stellar school partners from the 2023-2024 school year. We are absolutely thrilled to be working with these creative, collaborative, and courageous students (and staff) again. As you can see, they hit the ground running yesterday at their first workshop with Arts Ignite Teaching Artists, Reuben and Riley. Keep your eyes peeled for more updates, because this will be magical! #artseducationMATTERS!

“It is not about feeling guilty for how much I have, but about being conscious of how much I waste.” ?? This is one of many wise quotes Mary-Mitchell Campbell shared on the Mapping the College Audition podcast. Mary-Mitchell Campbell, award-winning Music Director and the founder of Arts Ignite, shares what inspired her to create this organization almost 19 years ago. We truly recommend taking some time to listen to this interview with MTCA Director Charlie Murphy, available wherever you subscribe for podcasts, for a boost of inspiration and motivation to practice gratitude and to reduce self doubt— in the arts and beyond.

What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with some heart-felt messages from some of our LOVE-LY Teaching Artists about what they ?? most about working with the youth at Arts Ignite?! We hope you have a wonderful day celebrating all the different types of love that surround you— and we want to remind you that to teach is to care, and to create is to connect! ???? #artsignite #valentinesday #artinHEART!

WE MOVED! Our new office is at 240 W. 40th St. on the Second Floor! We cannot wait to continue all of our efforts as an organization in this new space!

We love working with NYC Department of Parks & Recreation so much, we just HAD to return to their sites! Shoutout to Mr. Taptastic, our wonderful TA, for leading a group of youth at their Bronx After School Program. They danced the day away AND got to explore theater through interactive games! They will continue to explore movement as a means to communicate emotions and to build confidence with Mr. Taptastic for two more workshops. We can't wait to see what happens in our other mini-residencies at all 7 sites in each borough!

We are expanding our team! Lisa Dahlmeier is the Senior Director of Finance and Operations at Arts Ignite, where she combines her expertise in finance and operations with a deep passion for the arts bringing a unique balance of financial expertise and creative insight to her role. In parallel to her nonprofit career, Lisa has always been deeply involved in the performing arts, working with young people at theater camps and high schools. This experience allowed her to keep a strong connection to her creative roots, and continues to inform her work today, as she advocates for arts-based programming that brings communities together and enriches individual lives. Lisa thrives in dynamic environments where mission-driven objectives intersect with financial and operational strategy. She is committed to fostering financial integrity, operational excellence, transparency, and a deep belief in the power of the arts to create lasting change.

Ubumwe 2.0, a Professional Development series for educators in Uganda, is ending and we are here to uplift the joy, learning, and creativity that was shared during this program! Arts Ignite collaborated with Teachers College, Mailman School of Public Health (CPC Learning Network), Africhild Research Centre, HAF Uganda, and Artolution to bring this dream to fruition and we could not be more grateful to have had our Teaching Artist Thembile leading the workshops. We are so grateful for partnerships like these! ???????? Teachers College, Columbia University Care and Protection of Children (CPC) Learning Network The AfriChild Centre HAF Uganda Artolution