“My biggest wish is that every single young girl, including my younger sister, is part of a program like Her Words so that they too can learn to use their voices, to speak up, become the best version of themselves and change their lives forever.”
– Neyda Siguencia, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Class of 2025; Her Words staff, former intern, and graduate
When Neyda Siguencia joined the Her Words mentoring program the summer before starting high school, she described herself as a shy young Latina, who felt invisible and incapable of being successful. From the beginning, Her Words became her safe spot – a place where people listened to her, and where she could express her feelings and thoughts without being judged. Neyda is now a first-generation college student double majoring in psychology and criminology who hopes to further her education with a master’s in forensic psychology. She truly believes that without Her Words she wouldn’t be where she is today: “Her Words had a huge role in making me who I am today, a leader, an independent and hard-working young woman who perseveres to achieve her goals.”
Morris Arts is committed to enhancing learning through the arts by offering Arts-in-Education programs in the schools and providing mentoring programs to help underserved children succeed.
As Morris Arts celebrates its 50th year of building community through the arts, we are proud of the positive and long-lasting impact that our Arts-in-Education programs have on schoolchildren and youth-at-risk. Her Words, an arts-based mentoring and delinquency prevention program, was established in 2005 to serve teen girls in danger of falling into an achievement gap and/or being at risk for self-destructive behaviors. Through writing and performance activities that encourage students to express themselves, participants improve their oral and written communication skills while developing self-esteem, conflict-resolution, and problem-solving skills. Her Words participants form long-lasting relationships with their peers and staff that positively impact their lives and their future direction. By supporting the academic, social, and emotional growth of participants, Her Words positively transforms the lives of underserved youth in our community.
Did you know that YOU can IMPROVE and ENRICH these students’ LIVES with a gift to Morris Arts?
In this special 50th anniversary year, we hope we can count on your support. We even ask you to consider making a gift, so we can continue to bring life-changing youth mentoring programs to our community for the next 50 years.
Here’s how your gift will make an impact. Her Words consists of 36 two-hour workshops/year:
- Your $150 donation will cover teaching artist fees for one-hour of a workshop.
- Your $250 donation will cover teaching artist fees for the entire two-hour workshop.
From L to R: Crystal Hines, storyteller from Storytelling Arts: Untold Stories of Storied People; Arts in Education Dance Residency; Olivia Acosta at Meet Me in Morristown; Pumpkin Illumination display.
These last three years have challenged us all but has been particularly difficult for our children. With lost opportunities, isolation, and mental health challenges facing our youth today, it is more important than ever to continue supporting programs such as Her Words, which provide the connection, camaraderie, and support that these students need to prevail. An investment in Morris Arts’ future is an investment in the future of our youth.
Morris Arts’ mission, building community through the arts, is guided by the belief that the arts are a catalyst for positive social change, create economic viability, and enhance the quality of life for all people. Since our inception in 1973 from a grassroots organization founded in response to a lack of arts and cultural activities in the area, Morris Arts has grown into a leading cultural resource providing arts education programs in the schools, arts programming in the community, arts advocacy locally and statewide, and supporting our local community of artists and arts organizations. We strive to provide access to meaningful artistic experiences for all area residents regardless of age, means, or background. Our quality programs and services, which earn consistent accolades each year, reach a broad audience including children, at-risk youth, educators, artists, seniors, and families, thousands of which are low and moderate-income constituents from across the region.
Our programs have tremendous reach and impact on the quality of life in the Morris area:
- Our more than 200 Arts-in-Education programs, including our programs for youth-at-risk, impact over 200,000 students in 80+ schools in 40+ communities in seven counties in any given year.
- Our Community Arts Events, including the Giralda Music & Arts Festival, Meet Me in Morristown and Pumpkin Illumination, along with our collaborative partnerships, reach over 350,000 people with 300+ programs across northern New Jersey each year.
- We have supported more than 1,000 arts organizations with our Local Arts Grants awards, which in turn, serve thousands of people each year with arts programming.
- We have awarded 100+ Scholarships to artistically talented young adults to further their arts education and pursue their artistic dreams.
- Our free exhibits at two area art galleries showcase over 1,000 artworks by nearly 300 artists annually.
If the arts have enriched and enlightened your life, inspired creativity, cultivated curiosity or sparked your passion, please consider a gift to help launch Morris Arts into our next 50 years with a strong and promising future.
Please consider supporting us so we can keep the arts vital in Morris County for years to come!
