ALN X YOUTH PROGRAMS
Founded and run by educators and artists, ALN is a space dedicated to exploration and self-discovery. We have the ability to host up to 40 persons for overnight stays on our Averill Park campus, as well as the facilities to co-construct a range of educational programs. These programs are formed through the collaboration with educators to draw connections to existing units of study or areas of interest, or by developing extracurricular experiences in collaboration with educators, artists and artisans within our network. However it is constructed, program participants that visit our campus are presented with opportunities they would likely not otherwise have.
REACH OUT TO LEARN MORE & COLLABORATE
Please reach out if you are interested in learning more about ALN youth program initiatives, or to start a collaboration.
Depending on the design of the program, youth experiences can run anywhere from one afternoon to one-week in length. For overnight stays, youth and supportive adults may reside on campus and enjoy full access to our facilities. Day-to-day experiences include opportunities for intra and interpersonal development through on-site projects using our shop, studio space, and grounds to challenge the participants to think and act expansively. This is done in collaboration with others, inviting a range of voices to explore the essential nature of the pressing questions of our time. Program experiences are as diverse as its participants, and we explore the depth of this diversity wherever possible. With this we aim to push the boundaries of learning for both youth and the supportive adults alike, as well as ourselves.
BIG PICTURE LEARNING
In the Fall of 2023, Arts Letters & Numbers and Big Picture Learning (BPL) began a collaborative relationship by developing a musical improvisational program for the students of BPL Schenectady. Thanks to the support of the Arts Center of the Capital Region, and the creative energies of Melanie Chirignan and Melanie Hardage, this program spanned 7-weeks and saw twelve students working towards the development of the understanding of musical creation and improvisation. Each engagement took place on site at BPL Schenectady, where students explored music theory and frameworks, which culminated with each student developing individual musical pieces that were shared with the wider school community.
Building on the understanding and the power of a transformative curriculum, these musical numbers were integrated into the classroom experience, where musical expression was conjoined with literary expression. With the backdrop of music as an expressive power, poetry, storytelling, and literary structures were formed with the students’ music as the catalyst. With this, expression, listening, connection, feeling, depth and resonance were enhanced, and extra-curricular explorations informed the learning experience of the whole school within the classroom.
B-UNBOUND
In 2023, an exciting new partnership with Big Picture Learning was set in motion as ALN became a regional B-Unbound hub. B-Unbound is a national network of community platforms that connect youth with supportive adults and peers as they navigate their way through shared interests outside of school. By becoming a hub, ALN is among the few physical locations across the country facilitating this learning environment. Through ALN's extensive network, local and regional youth can be paired up with adults, coming together to support the youth's interests and way-finding. Additionally, through a digital platform, youth and adults can be connected virtually, bringing the national network of young learners and mentors together. The B-Unbound model, developed over 25 years, ensures each situation is uniquely formed to support the youth's journey.
Through our B-Unbound hub at ALN, we offer a range of opportunities within skills, project and career development, including the arts, cooking, horticulture, carpentry, construction, finance, hospitality, environmental conservation, meditation, education, and even fly-fishing.
We are committed to supporting youth, trusting our collaborators and network of creatives and thinkers to contribute to the development of the B-Unbound hub by becoming supportive adults for youth who share the same interests as them.
Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to start a conversation about joining B-Unbound, whether as a youth or a supportive adult.
DOORS OF HOPE MURAL PROJECT
The Doors of Hope Community Mural project was a collaborative effort involving Arts Letters & Numbers, Doors of Hope, the Rensselaer County Mental Health Student Assistance Program (SAP), and the Nopiates Committee. Directed by Ira Baumgarten, Frida Foberg, and Kayla Jolin, this project aimed to foster intergenerational conversations and expressions of hope and resilience within the Sand Lake community. It also sought to strengthen community bonds through art, engage youth in positive activities, and highlight the work of Doors of Hope, a non-profit organization that supports families in need through its thrift store profits.
Over three weeks, the project gained remarkable participation. It began with a public idea workshop where community members, partnering organizations, and students from Averill Park High School's Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) group shared their interpretations of a 'door of hope.' With guidance from the project team, the students, counselors, and community members collaboratively developed and implemented a cohesive mural design. The intergenerational exchanges continued throughout the project, from initial discussions to spontaneous conversations during mural implementation, where students shared their progress and were celebrated community members of all ages.
The completion of Sand Lake's first mural not only adds visual interest to the town but also sustains a meaningful dialogue about hope. The mural's narrative explores opposing elements like night and day, light and dark, rainbows and thunder, and rain and sunshine. The students emphasized that hope is a spectrum, sometimes arising from acknowledging the darkness. This successful project has sparked enthusiasm for more murals, both as artwork and as a means to involve the community in their creation.
The project achieved the following for the community:
Established inclusive spaces for local residents and students to discuss hope and challenges.
Rescued marginalized groups from isolation by bringing them into visibility and recognition.
Guided students in fostering community unity through mural creation.
Provided students with the opportunity to engage with national and international artists.
Brought attention to the multiple challenges faced by residents.
Explored avenues for support and resource allocation.
Instilled pride and engagement among the community by working together towards a shared goal.
Created an enduring community art installation that serves as a source of hope and resilience.
The students experienced the following:
Collaborative relationship-building.
Self-esteem growth through accomplishments.
Leadership responsibility practice.
Development of practical and creative skills.
Enhanced accountability and decision-making.
This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by The Arts Center of the Capital Region. Additional donations were received by Stewart’s Shop Donations, Tremont Lumber, Passonno Paints, CrossRoads American Grille, the NOpiates Committee, and contributions from dedicated community volunteers.
HARBOR FREIGHT FELLOWSHIP
During the academic year of 2019/2020 Arts Letters & Numbers brought the Harbor Freight Fellows Initiative (HFFI) to the Capital Region. This nationwide apprenticeship program, designed by Big Picture Learning and Harbor Freight Tools, is an alternative pathway for students whom show significant interest in the trades.
HFFIs National Director Charlie Plant and ALN’s Associate Director Frida Foberg worked with City School District of Albany’ Superintendent Kaweeda G. Adams, and Albany High School’s Abrookin Career and Technical Centers teachers and staff to initiate a pilot version of HFFI. The regional pilot version gave four students from Abrookin, Albany High Schools Career and Technical Center the opportunity to experience one-on-one work with a professional crafts person, while getting school credits as well as a stipend.
Even with COVID-19 restrictions, several students met the requirements to finish their fellowships and received their stipend and money towards tools for their trade. Omair Siddiqui has worked at DeNooyer Chevrolet as a detail technician since the beginning of the school year. In the fall, Omair will continue working at DeNooyer while attending the automotive program at Hudson Valley Community College. Connor Joslin, who worked at DePaula Chevrolet, is in the process of finishing his fellowship while at home. After the COVID-19 shutdown, an alternative plan was created that allowed Connor to work on his family’s and friends’ cars and watch YouTube videos to hone his skills. Connor will be attending HVCC in the fall to study environmental and natural resource conservation. Dacoda Clemens spent most of the year working with the state Office of General Services maintenance department. Dacoda will attend HVCC in the fall to pursue a degree in electrical. Dacoda will also be taking an EMS class to qualify to be a firefighter.
BIG BANG CONFERENCE
In the year 2019, Arts Letters & Numbers established a partnership with the global education organization Big Picture Learning to develop new projects in the Albany Area, as well as, Nationally and Internationally. Each year, Big Picture Learning holds ‘Big Bang’ an international conference on Student-Centered Learning. This conference is an intergenerational collaboration, where students and educators come together to learn from one another and from the community. This year Big Bang took place in Detroit, MI., in late July. Arts Letters & Numbers was asked to create an interactive map of key locations for the Out-learning experiences that were part of the conference. Arts Letters & Numbers Fellows Jennifer Park and Hyunbae Chang created a 10’ by 15.’ handmade map allowing the community to locate their visits through-out the gathering. Director David Gersten and Associate Director Frida Foberg represented Arts Letters & Numbers at this years Big Bang, building new foundations for future collaborations and expansions.
WHICH WAY IS HOME?
In 2016, Arts Letters & Numbers collaborated with Albany High School's Theater Ensemble, the National Coalition Building Institute, and Youth FX in a year-long project. The initiative aimed to amplify the voices of students through theater, dance, film, writing, and community building. As part of Albany High School's Social Justice After School Program, 20 students wrote, developed, and performed a play titled "Which Way is Home." This production delved into their personal and familial journeys to find a place of home and peace in Albany, New York.
The Social Justice Theatre Director, Noelle Gentile, explained, “The purpose of the piece is to highlight the transformative power of listening to one another, hearing each other’s stories, and discovering the bonds that unify us. The piece aims to empower all those involved and those who witness it as audience members.”
ALN's Ché Perez and Frida Foberg were brough on to partake in the students' storytelling and playwriting while designing a stage set to accommodate their stories. Following the "Which Way is Home” performances, ALN hosted the students at the Mill, where, in collaboration with Youth FX, a local non-profit film arts program, they filmed and produced a dramatization of the students’ stories. The National Coalition Building Institute played a crucial role in facilitating coalition building and storytelling activities, creating a safe space for the works to evolve.
The students who developed "Which Way is Home" challenged the status quo of institutionalized racism and oppression by sharing their journeys in search of a better home and a more just world. The films developed during this program have since been used to inspire younger students in coalition building, leadership, and finding their voices.
PLEASE REACH OUT IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT ALN YOUTH PROGRAM INITIATIVES, OR TO START A COLLABORATION
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PLEASE REACH OUT IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT ALN YOUTH PROGRAM INITIATIVES, OR TO START A COLLABORATION -
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