By Erin Wood
The Celebrate! Maya Project—a nonprofit started in 2014 with the goal of promoting the life, contributions, and history of Dr. Maya Angelou and helping youth find their voices and prepare for successful futures—has recently announced a three-year capital campaign to raise $600k.
About the Campaign, founder Janis F. Kearney says, “When 11 brave women came together nine years ago to create a day of remembrance for Dr. Maya Angelou, we were thinking about programs that could bring communities together in much the same way Angelou worked to create villages around the world, and about empowering young people to use their voices for good and for change. A Dr. Maya Angelou home will allow us to become more intentional and to widen our expectations for ourselves and for the children we serve.”
The Planting Seeds and Growing Dreams Campaign aims to build a 2,500+ sq. ft. space which will include three classrooms for after-school tutoring, workshops, art classes, and camp sessions; a learning center for intergenerational activities; an art and history gallery; two offices; and a community garden and memory park to educate on migration and sustainability.
Campaign gifts at all levels will provide more services, scholarships, and programs for youth throughout Arkansas, new hires, and expanded intergenerational and cross-cultural community initiatives. These services are especially critical in the Project’s focus area of the Arkansas Delta, where student populations are likely to be poorer and have far less access to quality education, health, and social services.
To give, visit celebratemayaproject.org and click the “Donate” button.
and click the “Donate” button.
Hot Springs native, Erin Wood is a writer, editor, and publisher in Little Rock. She owns and runs (www.etaliapress.com).
