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LEAF’s mission comes to life as an agent for positive social impact in many ways and places.
The “ways” include: cultural exchanges, residencies, programs, workshops, mentoring, Easel Rider Mobile Art Lab, Learning Journeys, Signature Events, and immersive experiences. “Places” include: LEAF Global Arts Center in downtown Asheville, in communities across the world, in schools, in community centers, at event locations such as Lake Eden in Black Mountain, and downtown Asheville.
Our vision is to create relationships with communities around the world to strengthen cultural & global arts education programs to engage youth in their rich, cultural heritage, while cultivating community and connection. These are our guiding tools:
LEAF global arts education program goals, curriculum, teacher & student evaluations are aligned with the Developmental Assets Profile (DAP), developed by the Search Institute. The Search Institute has identified 40 assets which comprise a set of skills, experiences, relationships, and behaviors that enable young people to develop into successful and contributing adults. Building these assets prepare youth for success in some type of college or education, a career, and citizenship.
LEAF has identified and prioritized 6 assets that exemplify the types of skills our programs help to develop in our youth participants:
LEAF’s Global Arts Education programs align with Common Core State and NC Essential Standards to supplement what teachers are doing in their classrooms.
The UNESCO Culture for Development Indicators Suite identifies several dimensions that address the interrelations between culture and development. LEAF International aligns with 5 indicators that provide a guiding framework for quantifying the contribution of culture in development.
The 5 indicators that guide the design and evaluate global programs:
Within these 5 dimensions, 9 indicators are utilized by LEAF as direct indications of how our programs are enriching individual lives, communities, and preserving forms of cultural expression:
Since 2018, LEAF Community Arts as a team with Buncombe County Schools (BCS) are John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts – Partners in Education Program. This national recognition is only the 3rd cohort in NC! The SHARED purpose of LEAF and BCS as Kennedy Center – Partners i
502,000
LEAFers at Events
56
Signature Festivals
104
Countries Represented
16,043
Performers
4
Virtual Events
82,600
Youth Participants
8,831
Youth Performers
621
Arts Education Programs
23,650
Easel Rider Youth
36
Kennedy Center Cohort BCSTeachers
4,880+
Youth Participants
10
Countries
14
Programs
4
ONEmic Studios
22
Culture Keepers
