As William Carlos Williams once wrote, “men die miserably every day for lack of what is found there.” By focusing on art and nature, the nonprofit Caldera widens the scope of what disadvantage youth can find in their lives. The Sagebrush Classic supports this effort, and last year awarded Caldera its first grant from Sagebrush, a total of $5,000.
Caldera reaches out to disadvantaged sixth-graders and stays engaged with them into college through weekly mentoring, workshops with professional artists, a variety of special events and a life-changing arts and nature camp experience. They provide focused, ongoing mentoring to 115 students in five Central Oregon schools, with secondary outreach to more than 5,000 students. Support from the Sagebrush Classic has allowed Caldera to continue serving these youth in the current challenging fundraising climate.
Brooklyn-based choreographer Reggie Wilson leads a traditional call-and-response exercise with Central Oregon Caldera students.
Tags: Caldera, mentor program