Organization Details

ASTEP?s main goal is to create 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.

ASTEP?s hope is to cultivate safe spaces in these communities where these children can learn to communicate, express, and develop constructive decision-making skills by using the arts as a catalyst and by interacting with our participating volunteer artists/teachers and local partnering organizations. Topics covered range from self-empowerment and positive future-building to HIV/AIDS awareness.

ASTEP was conceived by Mary-Mitchell Campbell who, while volunteering at Mother Teresa?s missionary in India, was motivated to effect change in the lives of children in the developing world. After returning to NYC, Mary-Mitchell began work on forming an arts-based non-profit designed specifically to help combat worldwide childhood poverty.

Simultaneously, a group of enthusiastic Juilliard students had formed who, post-9/11, were looking for an effective way to give back to the community using the most significant tool they had -- their art. Mary-Mitchell, then a faculty member at Juilliard, was moved by the group?s energy and became their advisory mentor.

Collaboratively, they 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.

Address

165 West 46th Street; Suite 1303
New York City, NY 10036
(212) 921-1227

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