Activities

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Students are required to attend programs at least three days a week: two days of afterschool workshops and tutoring, and a full day of painting on Saturdays. Research confirms that at-risk youth need this level of intensive intervention in order for real behavioral change to take place

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Weekly activities include

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• Tutoring and mentoring from corporate employees

• Career Exposure/Life Skills Workshops that enable students to explore different career paths and the skills needed in each. Recent subjects have included Financial Literacy, Sustainability, Ethics and Leadership, and Design and Arts Appreciation.

• Design-oriented workshops connecting students with some of the city’s leading industrial, graphic designers, and architects.

• Grand Workshops, led by Publicolor staff, at which parents, siblings, and guardians learn the value of a college education.

• Afterschool cultural enrichment trips and recreational outings. Recent field trips included interactive tours and discussions at the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the SONY Wonder Technology Lab, ice-skating in Rockefeller Center, bowling, and picnics in Prospect and Central Park.

• On Saturdays, COLOR Club students serve as junior staff for our transformation projects, earning stipends, practicing leadership skills, and learning how to be civically responsible by painting schools and community sites throughout New York City.

 

Impact

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• 70+ students participate in COLOR club each year.

• 100% of participants report increased mastery of design principles.

• 80% of participants report that Publicolor helped them understand the importance of education, and a majority reported that the program helped them come to school more often.

• 9-10 schools throughout the five boroughs are transformed every year, changing not only the physical environment, but also the school culture for thousands of students and teachers.

• Eat Your Colors

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Since our beginning, Publicolor has always emphasized healthy eating by serving nutritious snacks, breakfasts and lunches. A healthy mind needs a healthy body! And every year we devote one of our 6 week COLOR Club modules to Healthy Living, so our students are learning how to think about food and exercise.

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We are grateful to San Benedetto for donating all of our water, and to Subway and BR Guest for generously providing healthy meals for our students. Check out our own cookbook “Publicolor Palette/Eat Your Colors”! You’ll love it!