Countless studies have revealed that children and teens exposed to and practicing the arts show a greater capacity for educational success. As a meta-analysis from Harvard University asserts: most cultures in more eras of history have not doubted the importance of studying the arts; the arts have been around far longer than the study of the sciences; and the arts are a fundamentally important part of culture without which an education would not be fully rounded.
While in many struggling schools the arts are the first to be defunded and sometimes even eliminated, the arts are alive and well in Hunting Park.
Artistas y Musicos Latino Americanos (AMLA), a subsidiary of Esperanza, seeks to promote the development, dissemination, and understanding of Latin music and culture throughout Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley, with an emphasis on at-risk youth. Students from all walks of life, children and adults, can come to AMLA’s Latin School of the Performing Arts to learn about the music and culture of Latin Americans.
Esperanza Academy Charter School offers students the opportunity to study a concentration of particular interest to them, including the arts. The curriculum covers music, dance, theatre and visual arts. Students can demonstrate their talent and growth as young artists through biannual showcases that expose the Hunting Park community to the power of the performing arts.
As art supplements and even enhances the education of young Latinos in our community, it also ensures a well-rounded and culturally-aware student body prepared to take on higher education with a confidence that is sure to result in success.
Arts within our corridor not only beautifies and brings pride to our neighbors, but also beckons people from different parts of the city to experience Latin arts and culture. The combination of educational success, neighborhood pride and outside interest is a recipe for economic development.
Art is a priority for Esperanza.