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Tem Jogo in Santa Ana, California

Project

Tem Jogo

Location

Santa Ana, California, USA

Target

Sonia Velasquez started this project by creating a youth ensemble studying multiple forms of cultural dance including Capoeira. ContraMestre Versatil began the Capoeira portion of this program in early 2000. This project serves the youth of Santa Ana California, a city with a large Latino immigrant population. Arts and extracurricular programs have been missing from the school system here and matriculation rates are below average.

Currently instructors Chun-Sheng ‘Arisco’ Wang, Paul ‘Caboclo’ Natividad, and alumna Micol Celeste Issaithe also facilitate the program, all have experience working with social projects and relief efforts in Haiti.

Impact

Through community outreach, a large number of students that have been in the program have graduated high school and are attending college. For this fall, one former student was accepted to Yale. The leaders of this project believe in instilling values of global citizenship, self-love, self-respect in their students, and the knowledge that they can elevate themselves and their communities with these guiding principles.
Through the Academy of International Dance and Splendors of the World Dance Festival, the project has been able to expand to Rijeka, Croatia, a city with a large population of Muslim Romani and Muslims of Bosnian heritage. Their goal is for this aspect of the program to grow and bring the power of art and culture to many other places by partnering with groups in the ground who also work youth who are at risk.

Topics

Arts
Education
Music
Children and Youth development

Contact

Website: www.TemJogo.com
Email: Versatil@TemJogo.com

Social media:
Facebook.com/temjogocapoeira

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Capo4Kids

Project

Capo4Kids

Location

Chicago, IL, USA

Target

Capoeira for kids (CAPO4KIDS©) is a cultural and comprehensive enrichment program, designed to promote a sense of wellbeing in children of all ages. Capo4Kids defines wellbeing as a state of wellness (being in good physical and mental/emotional health) infused with a sense of social and environmental responsibility.

Impact

CAPO4KIDS© gives rise to children’s sense of self-worth (a belief of their worthiness and about how they deserve to be treated) and self-esteem (a belief of how capable, competent and valued they are) through connection learning. Connecting to children’s emotional needs is as important as connecting to their physical needs. And one of children’s most basic emotional needs is to be treated with respect. Social interactions rooted in respect for oneself and others are an immanent part of Capoeira Angola since Capoeira cannot be played alone.

Topics

#Marginalised Communities

Contact

Website: http://www.capo4kids.org/
Email: info@quilombocenter.org

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World Capoeira Arts Foundation: Projeto Maculelê

Project

World Capoeira Arts Foundation: Projeto Maculelê

Location

Decatur, Georgia, USA

Target

Projeto Maculelê was created to enrich the lives of at-risk children in poor neighborhoods throughout Brazil and in the USA. Many of these children suffer from malnutrition, lack of appropriate adult attention, and other conditions related to poverty. Without motivation and self-confidence building, these children often fall victim to the world of crime and drugs.

Impact

Maculelê’s projects touch the lives of many children, offering an opportunity for a healthier, better life through personal growth. They aim to create safe learning environments, art and culture workshops, health education, reliable role models, and nutritious snacks.

Through capoeira, they open a dialogue with the children to discover who they are, why are they special, where they come from, and how to find positive solutions to seemingly impossible problems. As they learn capoeira, its music, history and philosophy, they develop physical and emotional strength to solve problems, make friends, and develop their self-esteem.

Topics

Arts
Education
Music
Children and youth development

Contact

Website:
http://www.maculele.org/

Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/CapoeiraDecatur/?fref=ts

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Capoeira Social Project Baltimore

Project

Capoeira Social Project Baltimore

Location

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Target

The Capoeira Social Project was started in 2008 by Justin “Siriguejo” West with some capoeira students from his group. The activities occur in public buildings like universities or libraries/parks, or private spaces belonging to partner organizations, but it is a goal of the project to have their own space.

The project started after West’s capoeira group was contracted by the International Refugee Committee to teach after-school capoeira classes to African refugees who had been resettled in Baltimore. From the success of this project, the capoeira group decided to form an NGO/NPO.

The organization works with underprivileged children in the Maryland/Washington DC region with a focus on the youth of Baltimore.

Impact

The organization provides demonstrations and workshops for the city of Baltimore during their International Festivals, and has made a recent partnership with Projeto Verbo in Belo Horizonte, MG Brasil.

Topics

Arts
Education
Music
Children and youth development

Contact

Justin West
odcbaltimore@gmail.com
www.capoeirasocialproject.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CapoeiraSocialProject
twitter: @CapoeiraSocProj

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AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CAPOEIRA & ARTS FROM BRAZIL

Project

Project Capoeira

Location

Maryland, USA

Target

Project Capoeira fosters community and intercultural understanding and builds confidence and positive citizenship among disadvantaged groups, particularly Latino youth.

Impact

Project Capoeira provides support through capoeira classes to youth coming from disadvantaged contexts. This project promotes both strong physical and emotional development while allowing children to learn respect, courtesy and social skills.

Topics

Social inclusion
Youth development
Education
Health
Arts

Contact

Email: ascabdoutor@aol.com
Website: http://www.projectcapoeira.com/

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