CONGRATULATIONS TO THE PUERTO RICAN ARTS ALLIANCE CELEBRATING TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY
WHEREAS, The Puerto Rico Arts Alliance (PRAA) is celebrating a milestone this year; twenty years of arts education in the Latino community. Their programs in art and music give children a chance to learn about their culture; and
WHEREAS, The City Council has been informed of this anniversary by the Honorable Milly Santiago, Alderman of the 31st Ward; and
WHEREAS, Over the past twenty years, PRAA has emerged as a primary cultural resource, offering high-quality music and arts educational programming to 30,000 participants each year. PRAA operates three community centers in Chicago (PRAA Center, Humboldt Park Field House and Latin Music Project Center) and also partners with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and organizations across the Midwest to offer after-school classes and events on-site; and
WHEREAS, Carlos Hernandez is the founder and director of the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance. He feels "There are youth, there are children in our community that are yearning for music classes, they're yearning for arts. Arts and music is what resonates in this organization. PRAA has been dedicated to fostering community pride through culture and arts education, serving primarily low-income youth and their families, using music and arts as a vehicle to increase cross-cultural and inter-generational understanding. We are growing in a city that is diverse and equity and inclusivity in the arts is important for the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance. "We're opening up our centers for other cultures to come in"; and
WHEREAS, PRAA offers a Studio Arts Program after school and summer Studio Arts Apprenticeships through collaboration with After School Matters. It provides teens with a safe community space to meet under the supervision of qualified trained instructors and mentors. The Studio Arts Apprenticeship is a job-skill building program for teens ages 14-18. They are challenged with a creative project led ...
Click here for full text