Arts and Enrichment

We offer after school and school break experiential learning opportunities in the arts and academic enrichment for elementary and middle school age children who are underserved at minimal cost, regardless of education, social background, or creed. Our focus is on creativity and cultural empowerment. We do this through volunteers who share what they are passionate about, local businesses who donate their services, and local teaching artists.

We serve children at local schools, public community centers, and transitional housing communities who welcome our services.

All year round. During the academic year, our programs operate on designated days during the week on October through December and in the spring, approximately mid-March through mid-June. Summer Sizzle runs four days per week for six weeks in July and August.

Summer Sizzle is a camp that runs at least six weeks in the summer. Summer Sizzle is an opportunity for children to find a safe haven of play, enrichment and community in the summer within their own community. For the past two years, we have plugged in Wilson Commencement Park and called it “Wilson Wondercamp.”   We collaborate with other organizations in the Rochester community such as Camp Whitman, Lagom Landing, Rochester Public Library, Nazareth College, The M. K. Gandhi Institute for Non-violence, Wegmans, and more.

You can share a skill or area of expertise, or you can simply assist others who lead programming. We also welcome volunteers to help us make connections in marketing, development, and fundraising. All volunteers who work with children are required to submit to a background check and abide by the Third Church child protection policy.

You can:

• Share scientific knowledge
• Set up safe lab activities
• Provide career education
• Teach beyond a “chalk talk”
• Teach etiquette
• Decorate cakes and pastries
• Have a knack with the outdoors
• A master gardener
• Speak another language or can sign
• Take photos or have access to a lab
• Organize passive and active community service
• A museum docent Make jewelry
• Lead improvisational games
• A first responder
• Teach flag protocol
• Design web pages
• Have a connection with the elderly
• A hobby you always wanted to share
• Juggle
• Apply stage make-up
• Dance
• Have a gift of telling stories
• Teach a fitness class
• Encourage others to write creatively
• Lead a new sport
• Own a business you can open up for show and tell
• Code
• Write poetry
• Mathematics or History come alive
• Donate funds and resources to keep programs accessible to all

Programming is led by director Melanie Jones. Meet Melanie.