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Ascensions Community Services in the United States
Children of the Sacadas
Off the Streets and Into School
Healthy Little Mouths
Mina in India
Genet in Ethiopia
Cynthia in Paraguay
Clarence in the United States
Elvia in the Dominican Republic
Felipe in Paraguay
Shanthi in India
Abdul in Senegal
Clarence Life Pieces to Masterpieces
Washington, DC, United States Art imitates life, the saying goes, but for boys like Clarence Wagner, art might be saving lives instead.
Growing up in Washington DC, thirteen-year-old Clarence says he spent his early childhood trying to emulate older kids by “throwing rocks at cars, breaking bottles, stealing bikes, and hanging out on the corner with the wrong crowd.” In a low-income neighborhood where drugs and violence are rampant, schools struggle, and jobs are few, Clarence could have easily headed down the wrong path. Six years ago, he joined Life Pieces to Masterpieces, and now Clarence—like the seventy other boys the organization serves annually—is turning challenges into possibilities. Life Pieces to Masterpieces (LPTM) is an arts and life skills program for African American boys between the ages of three and twenty-one. Participants hail from Washington DC’s toughest housing projects, where young black men have a better chance of going to jail than going to college. LPTM uses the arts as a tool through which the boys can process their life experiences. Its programs equip them with the skills to succeed academically, make healthy choices, and assume leadership roles. Clarence and other young “apprentices” in LPTM create dazzling visual artwork. The boys tell their stories on painted canvases, but they also use rap, poetry, theater, and drumming to bring their work to the community. LPTM’s impact on Clarence is clear: “I feel proud of myself when I speak in public or do performances. At first I used to be nervous talking in front of so many people, but now I have so much practice, and I love it,” he says. Four years ago, the Global Fund for Children made its first grant to LPTM, recognizing that inner-city boys like Clarence confront obstacles as daunting as those in the developing world. Poverty, violence, substance abuse, absent fathers, inadequate health care, and failing schools are a daily reality. The life expectancy of a black man in Washington DC is just fifty-eight—fifteen years below the national average for men. Investments in the award-winning organization have rendered high returns. Since LPTM began in 1996, no apprentice has entered the juvenile justice system, fathered an illegitimate child, or repeated a grade. Ninety percent of graduates have attended college or job-related training and gained meaningful employment. Young artists have produced over 450 canvases, using the proceeds from their art to build their education funds. For Larry Quick, the organization’s founder and executive director, the real masterpieces are the life changes that the boys create. A gifted artist who grew up in the city’s projects, Quick founded LPTM to give hope and positive role models to the generation of young men he saw struggling around him. “Where there’s nothing but ugliness, you’ve got to find beauty somewhere,” Quick reflects. LPTM helps the boys connect, create, and contribute—the “three C’s” that Quick believes are necessary for a healthy, productive life. Participating in LPTM has opened new horizons for Clarence and his eleven-year-old brother, Ivory. This year Clarence entered a top local high school, where he’ll prepare for a career in art and computer engineering. He serves as a mentor to younger kids at LPTM, and his mother, Stephanie, is a member of the organization’s “ladies” branch. Clarence has big dreams for the future. Beyond professional success, he says, “I want to be the kind of man who has a strong family of his own. I want to be the kind of person who is loving and helps other people—especially my own people.” Click on the links at the top to read other success stories, or click here to read more about GFC’s Grantmaking Program.
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