ART That Activates

A.R.T. That Activates

Come join us to be inspired by local youth who are envisioning a new food landscape in Camden. Their art is a powerful platform to raise awareness, inspire change, and mobilize the community for a healthier, more resilient future. This event will launch a photo exhibit and highlight the students who participated this fall in the Y-Plan (Youth – Plan, Learn, Act Now) project to bring student voice and learning into civic planning.

Agenda

The gallery will be open from 4:30-7:00pm, with remarks from organizers and youth artists at 5:30pm. Light food and non-alcoholic refreshments will be served, so please make sure to indicate any dietary needs when registering.

Location

JPEG (Jersey Photography Education Gallery) 303 Market Street, Camden, NJ 08102

The JPEG space is part of the Erik James Montgomery Foundation, a nonprofit organization established to instruct today's youth on becoming the photographers of tomorrow. The Foundation has a special focus to create public works of photographic art throughout the world. https://www.ejmfoundation.org/

About Y-PLAN

Y-PLAN (Youth - Plan, Learn, Act Now) is an award-winning, civic learning strategy and curriculum developed by UC Berkeley’s Center for Cities + Schools. For over twenty years, it has invited young people into the heart of city planning, providing them with the tools and platform needed to tackle real-world challenges in their communities.

The Rowan University / Rutgers Camden Board of Governors and Rutgers-Camden University Center for Urban Research & Education started an afterschool program with Mighty Writers utilizing the Y-PLAN framework. Youth in this program learned theories such as transformative learning/leadership and community ownership, as well as ideas and frameworks related to health and neighborhood quality of life, urban well-being, and nutrition security.

This program is a part of a larger movement to bring a community-owned grocery store to Camden—an effort to address food insecurity, support local businesses, and strengthen the community. The youth involved are leading this charge, using art as a powerful platform to raise awareness, inspire change, and mobilize the community for a healthier, more resilient future. Youth were compensated to help organize the implementation of and solve issues related to the food cooperative.

These youth participants have engaged with artists, educators and organizers to creatively express their ideas on the themes of food, community and cooperative business in Camden. By sharing their explorations, we seek to invite attendees into the conversation and activate interest in a food co-op through artistic endeavors.

Host or Publisher Rutgers CURE