The partnership aims to foster youth development and strengthen mentor/mentee bonds through interactive no-cost workshops
Riverside, Calif. – April 8, 2024 – Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Empire (BBBS) today announced a new partnership with the Riverside Art Museum (RAM) aimed at fostering creativity and cultural enrichment for young minds through mentorship. From now through May, RAM will host monthly art workshops exclusively for BBBS mentors and mentees, creating a unique opportunity for bonding and exploration of the arts in the historic art museum.
The monthly art workshops are designed not only to unleash the creative potential of the BBBS mentees, but also to strengthen the bond between mentors and mentees. RAM, known for its commitment to community engagement and artistic expression, will generously open its doors to BBBS matches, offering a series of interactive workshops at no cost to help eliminate any financial barriers to quality time and further solidify mentor/mentee relationships.
“The arts nurture a sense of craftsmanship, bolster self-confidence, and cultivate the capacity to envision innovative solutions. Engaging in the arts empowers children, making them more open to embracing new challenges and opportunities as adults. Our partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters exemplifies the transformative impact of art on our community, and we are immensely proud to be part of this journey,” says Caryn Marsella, Director of Art Education and Community Engagement at the Riverside Art Museum.
The partnership between BBBS and RAM seeks to expose children involved in BBBS’ programs to the rich world of arts and culture in an effort to boost development and confidence, promote self-expression and foster a sense of community. According to a meta-analysis done by the Arts Education Partnership, students who study music have increased achievement and proficiency in math. This same study also found that the visual arts have a positive impact on students’ ability to organize their writing and comprehend complex texts, such as those found in science courses.
“Big Brothers Big Sisters is thrilled to partner with the Riverside Art Museum to provide our mentors and mentees with an enriching cultural experience,” said Sloane Keane, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire. “We believe that exposure to the arts can be transformative, and through this partnership, we aim to create lasting memories and inspire creativity in the lives of the children and young people we serve.”
The collaboration between BBBS and RAM reflects a shared commitment to empowering the next generation through mentorship and cultural experiences. By combining the impactful mentoring relationships of BBBS with the artistic resources of RAM, this partnership aspires to make a lasting difference in the lives of children in the Riverside community.
For more information about BBBS’s community mentoring program and the Riverside Art Museum, please visit BBBS’s Community Mentoring page and www.riversideartmuseum.org.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire creates and supports one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Our mentoring model was created on the premise of youth equity and empowerment, designed to meet kids where they are and empower them with the skills to transform their lives and their communities. Since 1958, we have provided local youth facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported mentoring connections that provide a direct and measurable impact on their lives. With a mentor, youth are able to build emotional intelligence and social capital necessary to achieve educational milestones, set postsecondary plans and achieve a living wage job. Through mentoring, our aim is to reduce the number of disconnected youth in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties and build a self-sufficient workforce with the potential to change the world. To learn more about the organization, visit their Orange County office’s website or their Inland Empire office’s website.
About Riverside Art Museum
Since 1967, the Riverside Art Museum (3425 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, CA 92501) has been housed in a 1929 building designed by Hearst Castle and AIA Gold Medal-winning architect Julia Morgan, registered on the National Register of Historic Places, and designated a Historic Landmark by the City of Riverside. Riverside Art Museum integrates art into the lives of people in a way that engages, inspires, and builds community by providing regionally focused exhibitions, programming, events, and arts education that instill a lifelong love of the arts.
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