Last week, Action Alexandria undertook to raise $750 for the award-winning Program "A Space of Her Own" (SOHO), run by The Art League and the Alexandria Court Service Unit. When that fundraising goal was broken hours after it was set, the goal was raised to $2,500 — and that was broken, too, setting a new fundraising record for ACTion Alexandria.
Thank you from The Art League and the SOHO girls!
SOHO runs each school year, pairing girls with adult, female mentors who work with them on life skills, team-building, and art. The girls create artwork for their own bedrooms, and end the program by redecorating their rooms to make them spaces of their own. By learning about art and other life skills through the mentoring program, girls identified as at-risk by the court system grow stronger and more confident. Lesson topics include nutrition, refusal skills, self-esteem, communication, relationship building, friendship, sexual health, decision-making, and more — and, of course, art.
This year, 16 girls graduated from SOHO. Watch their room redecoration in this video:
The Washington Post wrote about SOHO in 2009. You can learn more about the program on The Art League's website.
Thank you from The Art League and the SOHO girls!
SOHO runs each school year, pairing girls with adult, female mentors who work with them on life skills, team-building, and art. The girls create artwork for their own bedrooms, and end the program by redecorating their rooms to make them spaces of their own. By learning about art and other life skills through the mentoring program, girls identified as at-risk by the court system grow stronger and more confident. Lesson topics include nutrition, refusal skills, self-esteem, communication, relationship building, friendship, sexual health, decision-making, and more — and, of course, art.
The Art League's Executive Director, Linda Hafer, writes:
"This has been an awesome boost to ensure that this program will continue and that the girls will have appropriate art supplies and the best programming! One of my favorite things about this program is the collaborative aspect —it started with The Art League and the Alexandria Court Service Unit, and the volunteer mentors and teachers—and it’s grown and improved thanks to the added participation of several local nonprofits, many sponsoring businesses, and contributions from foundations and individuals. We’re so grateful to have ACTion Alexandria and your generous donors as part of our SOHO team!"
This year, 16 girls graduated from SOHO. Watch their room redecoration in this video:
The Washington Post wrote about SOHO in 2009. You can learn more about the program on The Art League's website.
