ABOUT CAFE

CAFES Vision: A world-class institution that instills in each student a passion for academic excellence, cultural intelligence, social leadership, and civic engagement.
A person holding a small target symbol with an arrow hitting the center, positioned above wooden blocks with icons of a bar chart, an upward arrow, a person, gears, and a light bulb, part of a colorful graphic promoting a youth arts program called CAFE.
A woman in a blue suit smiling and holding a large metallic globe against an orange background. Text on the slide includes 'Our VALUES' and points about embracing diversity, acknowledging culture, and supporting academic achievement. The CAFE logo is in the bottom right corner.
A graphic with symbols of diverse hands surrounding the Earth, puzzle pieces, a key, and a dove, representing themes of diversity, innovation, social justice, and community.

Over 28 YEARS OF SUCCESS IN ACADEMIA AND ARTS !!

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International reach for our local students

Our arts program features two award-winning youth steel orchestras  (multiple time champions at the Virginia Beach International Pan Festival). The bands have played before audiences throughout the United States, and in Trinidad & Tobago, Canada, and Senegal. Such audiences included CAFE family and supporters, community members, diplomats, presidents, First Ladies, activists, and various professionals. We have hosted youth bands from Trinidad & Tobago and Belize. Our repertoire covers all genres, with a focus on contributions from the African, Caribbean, and Latin American diaspora. We expose students to diverse cultural practices, including languages, dance forms, cuisines, fashions and arts.  CAFE encourages inclusion, understanding and tolerance for all cultures, (especially those considered marginalized and less visible to mainstream viewers). We currently serve students and families from over 200 youths and 300 adults.

Our Students. Our Legacy.

Our Students. Our Legacy.

This family has seen so much success at CAFE. While one has graduated from high school, the younger remains at CAFE and continues to blossom !

From low income to high success!

For over 25 years CAFE has provided arts-based academic instruction to over 2,000 youths in low-income, underserved communities through our after-school and Saturday academy programs. These programs teach performing and visual art forms (music [theory & steelpan], dance, painting, sculpture, videography and photography) helping students achieve success in traditional academic subjects, (e.g.,math, reading, and science).

We are about history in the making!

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Our students excel at state

and regional competitions

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Our arts integrated project-based curricula builds competence and instills self-confidence in children as they (1) acquire requisite scholastic skills, and (2) complete complex assignments, often in competitive environments. Competitions include Robotics tournaments, Steelpan competitions, chess matches, and mock legal trials. Students partner with college mentors to produce fictional and non-fictional narratives, and present physics-based steelpan exhibitions at Princeton University’s Young Women’s Conference annually.

In short, we are a family because we all believe that it takes a village to raise our children successfully.