ASTEP College Campaign
The ASTEP College Campaign aims to unite collegiate artists around the country in an effort to educate children through the arts. It is the hope of ASTEP that by promoting these college chapters individually and by bringing them together virtually and regionally, the work of ASTEP will become ubiquitous on college campuses around the nation helping to spread ASTEP’s mission throughout the U.S.
About You
Section 1: You
First Name
Beth
Last Name
Konopka
Website URL
Organization
Artists Striving To End Poverty
Country
United States, NY
Section 2: Your Organization
Organization Name
Artists Striving To End Poverty
Organization Website
Organization Phone
2129211227
Organization Address
165 West 46th Street Suite 1303, New York, NY 10036
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Organization Country
United States, NY
Your idea
Name Your Project
ASTEP College Campaign
Country and state your work focuses on
United States
Describe Your Idea
The ASTEP College Campaign aims to unite collegiate artists around the country in an effort to educate children through the arts. It is the hope of ASTEP that by promoting these college chapters individually and by bringing them together virtually and regionally, the work of ASTEP will become ubiquitous on college campuses around the nation helping to spread ASTEP’s mission throughout the U.S.
Website URL
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
Currently there exists a significant crisis in our educational system. Conventional methods of education are no longer sufficient within efforts to enlighten our global community towards peaceful resolutions and social balance. With access to information at our disposal any moment of the day, our new agenda as social change makers must be empowered compassionate choice making.
The performing and visual arts have always been synonymous with self-expression and catharsis. The arts empower people to believe in themselves, which in turn empowers our exhausted families and beaten communities. The artists who participate in ASTEP programming are empowered, emboldened and inspired by the children we work with, thus creating a circular motion of positive growth. The power of the arts to create change is paramount to all of ASTEP's programming and mission.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
No
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What impact have you had?
Since the ‘soft launch’ of the ASTEP College Campaign back in 2007 there are now official ASTEP chapters at four liberal arts colleges in the U.S. While these groups remain largely autonomous, they follow a set of guidelines delineated by ASTEP and are mentored by veteran ASTEP volunteers.
The campaign has gained the most significant recognition at its alma matter chapter at the Juilliard School of Performing Arts. This particular group has grown to approximately 45 members strong and has developed their own annual ASTEP style outreach initiative that takes place during their spring break where the group travels to New Orleans, Louisiana to perform, teach and help build houses for needy children in the area. It is ASTEP’s hope to one day get all student groups participating in this initiative to this level of service.
Problem
The ASTEP College Campaign is designed to fulfill both the needs of ASTEP (new volunteers, exposure and additional funds) and also addresses the needs of the college aged demographic of artists. Due primarily to the nature of show business and dearth of opportunities for artists to perform, ASTEP noticed many artists’ talents were untapped. ASTEP is continually challenging the industry to redefine the possibilities for artists and artists as citizens. Often artists say they feel conflicted and confused about whether to apply their talents in service to the community or the performing arts industry.
ASTEP aims to forge a path that will open to artists’ new opportunities to build fruitful professional careers as well as a full life as an active and responsible contributor to society. These roles can and should be mutually inherent in everyone’s artistry.
Actions
One of ASTEP’s core values is to encourage artists to use their talents in innovative and inspiring ways, and to reconnect with the power of the arts to transform society. ASTEP guides artists in hopes that they become social justice entrepreneurs who enlighten their own communities about the issues of poverty surrounding children. Artists therefore, are a crucial component to ASTEP’s programming.
There is a valuable resource of potential volunteers in college students. ASTEP can provide a creative and philanthropic outlet for these student artists, connecting them with the ASTEP community and its many programs. In return, these students can help raise awareness and funds and provide volunteers for ASTEP.
Recruitment of schools will be done through a variety of methods, utilizing connections currently in place as well as research into national organizations like Theta Alpha Phi will be conducted to find schools with active arts programs and establish contact.
Results
ASTEP's has created a community of artists who are actively engaged in using their talents to raise awareness about the plight of the children we serve and to dynamically assist by volunteering at our programs. Our work demonstrates that collaborative, relational, artistic experiences provide a solid foundation for long term change. ASTEP prepares our campaign participants and volunteer artists, by way of mentorship, workshops and formalized training, to be social justice entrepreneurs, educating them about foreign cultural dynamics and enlightening them about the issues surrounding impoverished children. Our volunteer artists have a major role as the primary purveyors of ASTEP's mission of bringing arts education, HIV/AIDS awareness, and development of self-empowering, decision-making skills to youths in disadvantaged communities around the world.
What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Please address each year separately, if possible.
Year One: Strategically planning awareness and recruitment campaigns to attract/enlist additional colleges and universities to the program.
Year Two: Hiring a part-time ASTEP College Campaign Developer/Coordinator to manage the program.
Year Three: Increasing incentives to become a part of the program and globalizing the breadth of the mission.
What would prevent your project from being a success?
ASTEP College Campaign participants have already encountered some difficulty getting their official student group status due to certain stringent rules, regulations and time-line inefficiency of college or university student group policy. Without a dedicated coordinator to advocate for the groups and a certain amount of program viability ASTEP might miss out on certain opportunities to bring the campaign to targeted colleges/universities that can in turn help achieve these goals.
How many people will your project serve annually?
101‐1000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
Less than $50
Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?
No
Sustainability
What stage is your project in?
Operating for 1‐5 years
In what country?
United States, NY
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Yes
If yes, provide organization name.
Artists Striving To End Poverty
How long has this organization been operating?
More than 5 years
Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with businesses?
No
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with government?
No
Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.
As with all ASTEP initiatives ASTEP collaborates with local social service and education organizations to define and help solve the problems a particular group of children face. Together, these partnerships create safe spaces where the children and/or artists work; inviting a deeper investment in the communities' connection to its children and/or commitment to the arts. Understanding the need for sustainable change, our local partners also assist in maintaining relationships and continuing the work with when ASTEP is not on site.
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization?
In line with ASTEP’s strategic plan, the next 3 years will be focused on increasing our pool of volunteer artists and further developing/formalizing/copyrighting ASTEP Curriculum to ensure we are bring both quality and quantity to our current partnering organizations. Moving forward into ASTEP’s 5 year goals; it is our priority to have criteria for successful partnerships mapped out so as to be able to pursue new partnerships that align closely with ASTEP’s mission as well as identify and fill additional core staff positions needed for this type of growth. By 10 years, it is our hope to be an organization strong, sustainable and sought after enough to pursue globalization of our operations and mission.
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
The ASTEP College Campaign is an initiative inspired by the informal beginnings of ASTEP developed while Mauricio Salgado (CPO) and Beth Konopka (COO) were attending school at Juilliard. Together they organized a group of students, post-9/11, looking for an effective way to give back to the community using the most significant tool they had -- their art. Collaboratively, the group decided on a goal: to demonstrate the power of the arts as a universal tool for engendering a greater sense of social understanding and acceptance in spite of any socially-recognized differences. Hence, the very first ASTEP College Campaign.
Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.
Mauricio Salgado, Beth Konopka and Mary-Mitchell Campbell are all integral parts to the creation and continuation of ASTEP. As an actor, dancer and musician all three artists have striven and keep striving to emulate and deliver ASTEP's core philosophies that encompass the artist as a citizen by continuing to balance performing while simultaneously implementing valuable services to children in poverty around the world. Please visit the ASTEP website for further details on each individual http://www.asteponline.org/staff.html
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Through another organization or company
If through another, please provide the name of the organization or company
Ashoka's Changemakers
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| ASTEP_Logo_Jpg.jpg | 5.41 KB |
 | 112 weeks agoBeth Konopka said: ASTEP requires each of its ASTEP College Campaign groups to be taking an active part in 'giving back' to the children in their ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 113 weeks agoAlexis Ditkowsky said: Hi Beth, Thanks so much for your entry. I'd love to hear more about some of the projects, large and small, that ASTEP college groups ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 113 weeks agoBeth Konopka updated this Competition Entry. |
| 118 weeks agoBeth Konopka submitted this idea. |
