Solving the global environmental crisis starts with cultivating the next generation of creative leaders.

Dear Friend,

It has been an exciting and fruitful year for ArtCorps, as we continue to strengthen communities through close collaboration with our partners in Central America. Your ongoing support is integral to our work; and as we close the year, we want to share an example of how your contribution is directly nurturing creativity and innovation in the world. Below, Allison Havens, shares a story of her work with CARE in Honduras on our Youth Leaders in Conservation Program!

“We’ve gotten comfortable working as a team , and now we need to learn about the water issues that we’re going to be painting about in our first mural.  So with 10 screaming teenagers in the back of a pickup truck, we are taking a field trip to our water source, the life-blood of our precious ecosystem.

Once we arrived at the base of the mountain, we trekked about 30 minutes through the woods to reach the river. Against this stunning backdrop, Oscar and Don Santiago explained how the water system operates hand-in-hand with all parts of the ecosystem to ensure a stable and clean supply of water for our community. We often talk about “caring for our planet” in abstract terms, but it’s hard to have a real understanding of what it means to “protect our water supply”. That’s why I wanted our group to see up close where and how we get the water that comes to our homes, to learn why sometimes the water doesn’t reach our houses or we get sick from drinking tapwater, and to identify current threats to our natural resources.”

The youth also heard why one member of their community, Don Santiago, decided to volunteer his time to improve the water system for the entire community. When the water doesn’t run, it’s easy for people to complain, but often those same people don’t work to solve the problem, or participate in the water council meetings. Don Santiago inspired us by his stories and example to be part of the solution.”

We thank you for making this possible and we encourage you to invest in this important work as we work together to cultivate the next generation of creative leaders of our precious natural world!