It's Fall at the LOFT
Welcome to the LOFT: Fall Programming
#jointheparty💙; it’s y(ours) to create
After our wildly successful week of camp (and another starting on Monday, which will be approaching its ending by the time you read this), we set out to brainstorm more events for kids and adults that allow for opportunities to create, connect and collaborate, as well as give back to neighboring communities; and with school still up in the air, we want to give parents and caregivers a few moments of solitude. Here at Cece DuPraz, we really want to cultivate and hone in on the ideas of philanthropy through art, whether it is through song, pictures, words or deeds, we want all of the participants to leave with feeling the undeniable bliss that is partnered with giving back. Always referring to our mission at the LOFT: a philanthropic place to house creation, connection and collaboration amongst adults and children, partnered with the focus to raise awareness and to actively participate in helping communities outside of our own, we designed our new Fall sweatshirt to do just that: use art to give back. We designed this motif with the aim to show our stance on equality, and initiated our Give Back Program, where 10% of the profits of any apparel with this logo will be donated to local charities supporting these causes: LGBTQ, women’s empowerment, climate change and charitable programs for Black and other minority communities. This also led to creating our Giving Pack - a 3-pack of adult masks and a 2-pack of kids masks where one mask will be donated with each set that is purchased. We weren’t kidding when we said we were on a mission to give back - and this is only the beginning.
September at the LOFT
Since the question of school is still lingering in the air, to give us all something concrete to hold onto, and for those who missed out on Summer Camp, we decided to continue the Summer program into the Fall, running four 2-hour sessions, meeting once a week, either Tuesdays or Thursdays for grades K-8.
CAMP IN THE FALL
C raft [In partnership with My Brother’s Table in Lynn, campers will make a mask to donate to those in need.]
E ntrepreneurship [Take a peek behind the scenes of Cece DuPraz – the machine, the process, and learning that your customer is always right, while living with the value of spreading joy]
C onnect [Write notes and draw pictures to send along with the custom tote bags to give the patrons and families at My Brother’s Table.]
E quality [ with selected inspirational quotes from Black leaders, children’s books about them, and circle time for conversation]
Class size is limited to 10 students per day and sessions will run 3-5pm:
Tuesdays in September: 8, 15, 22, 29
Thursdays in September: 10, 17, 24 and Oct 1
And, for those who also won’t be able to make it to camp or our Fall sessions due to distance or COVID concerns - fear not! We have compiled our camp-in-a-box into our Little Leaders Box, full of activities to do at home that mirror exactly what we are doing in the LOFT. In our specialty box you will receive: 4 days worth of self directed activities for creative kids who want to express themselves through the visual arts while fostering entrepreneurial and philanthropic thinking, weekly activities overview and daily instructions with bios of Black women leaders, daily quote cards of Black leaders in American history, package of paper to draw tote design with instructions, paper and stamped envelope for letter writing, string for friendship bracelets with instructions, coloring pages of Black women leaders, art Supplies including: Box of colored pencils & ruler, watercolor set, scissors, 3D paint, Cece DuPraz stickers, Exclusive Cece DuPraz 20 oz aluminum water bottle.
THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE LOFT AT CECE DUPRAZ, EDUCATION IN A BOX
C raft [Littles will create a custom canvas bag and friendship bracelet for a friend. For every box purchased, Cece DuPraz donates a family mask set to the largest local soup kitchen near the Loft, My Brother's Table in Lynn, MA.]
E ntrepreneurship [Creating lemonade from lemons with examples by doing, learning, and thinking outside the box!]
C onnect [Littles are encouraged to give and make for their friends, learning about the importance of human connection. They will also learn about Black leaders who led with a bigger purpose to change their communities for the better, through believing in that purpose and working together to make positive change.]
E quality [Littles will learn about Black leaders that they may not necessarily learn about in school, to foster discussion and lessons and help make life's most important lessons easier.]
FUN FRIDAYS!
With more on the topic of school, we realized that even with a hybrid system in place the students will be missing a lot of the specials they are normally accustomed to so we wanted to fill that void! So we are introducing: FUN FRIDAYS! - a one-time session for grades K-8 that will differ from the Summer and Fall sessions. This special day is meant to cover the range of school specials like movement, library, music and art. We will also be partnering with our Give Back Program to ensure that all activities tie in with our philanthropic mission and the ideals of our kid programs:
C raft [We believe every child is an artist. Art is a form of communication and expression, allowing kids to use their imagination to develop their creativity, dabble in science with experimentation of materials, foster self confidence and self knowledge.]
E ntrepreneurship [Cece DuPraz started as an idea, and by following that inner voice saying to keep going, we continue to create and evolve this company. Our first proprietary product, the custom tote kit, was named one of Oprah's favorite things in 2018, and a GOOP favorite in 2019. We're just getting started.]
C onnect [Philanthropy is a big part of our mission. We are proud to have a Give Back Collection, and teach our kids and others through doing the importance of connecting and giving back to our larger shared community.]
E quality [We have a library of diverse books at the Loft. In our programming, we are often themed around inspirational quotes, mostly from Black leaders, to create a safe environment for childhood learning and discussion as we create this new, improved world together where we teach our children well - together.]
We have scheduled two Fridays in September from 3-5pm: 4th and 11th. Class size will be limited to 10 students per class.
...AND FOR THE ADULTS
A Night of Mindfulness
Thursday September 10, 6:30 - 8pm
Ok - so we have done A LOT of programming for the kids, but what about the adults??? Don’t worry, we have you covered too. For our first adult program at the LOFT, we wanted to start the series off right. We have partnered with Yoga Loft Marblehead and will be hosting A Night of Mindfulness because let’s be honest, this is 2020, and we all could use a little zen. But most importantly, this will be a session meant for the parents to bring the principles of mindfulness back into the home to use with yourselves and your children. I know my own kids faced a lot of anxiety with the uncertainness that the Spring heaped upon us, and once they started learning these tools to harness their feelings, I noticed a big change in their demeanor. This program will be held in our spacious loft space with conversation about mindfulness and practice following. We will also provide light bites to eat while we mingle and learn. To also keep inline with the philanthropic mission of the LOFT, upon entry to the program, please bring any amount of toiletries to be donated to the Free Clinic that is adjacent to My Brother’s Table. Many, many people depend on this clinic for basic needs like soap, shampoo, dental health, socks, femenine products etc… Let us do our part in giving back to communities that need our help. Please bring your own yoga mat, and if you do not have one, please reach out before hand and one will be provided for you. **Masks will be worn inside the LOFT during the session.** This session will be limited to 10 participants and will run on Thursday September 10th, 6:30-8pm. Stay tuned for sign ups!
Beading and Blinging Up Our Masks
Thursday September 24th, 6:30 - 8pm
During our first camp session, all of the staff at Cece DuPraz were gifted beautifully beaded lanyards for our masks to rest on our necks rather than our chins by a camper and her mother. This then gave us the idea to have this amazing mother host a night to Bead and Bling up our masks - and if this isn’t the most apropos event for 2020, then I don’t know what is. This event is limited to 10 participants. All materials will be provided including some light bites and drinks to sustain us while we bead away! Let’s also think - this is a great accessory for our kids to have in school so they don’t lose their masks! To also keep inline with the philanthropic mission of the LOFT, upon entry to the program, please bring any amount of toiletries to be donated to the Free Clinic that is adjacent to My Brother’s Table. Many, many people depend on this clinic for basic needs like soap, shampoo, dental health, socks, feminine products etc… Let us do our part in giving back to communities that need our help **Masks will be worn inside the LOFT during the session.**. Stay tuned for sign ups!
October at the LOFT
Continuing with the Summer and September programs, we will also be running the Tuesday and Thursday programs in October for those that could not make it to our Summer camp or Septembers.
Tuesdays 3-5pm: 5, 12, 19, 26
Thursdays 3-5pm: 8, 15, 22, 29
Also stay tuned for more FUN FRIDAY! additions as well as adult programs. We have some exciting ones in the works for October but just to give you an idea as a sneak peak, Haunted Happenings might be cancelled in Salem, but that doesn’t mean we can’t bring the Halloween energy to the LOFT.
And don’t forget to tag us #jointheparty💙 outside of the Loft to continue to create, connect and inspire!
