Built on Belief.
Proven by Results.
Since 1996, CAFE has used arts education to build discipline, leadership, and academic achievement in the youth of Prince George's County and the greater DMV.
Celebrating 30 Years · 2026Our Story
Started in a Basement.
Built to Last.
In 1996, Lorna Green moved to Prince George's County, Maryland, and saw what was missing: arts programming that reached the students who needed it most. Public schools in the area had little to offer youth from minority communities in the way of creative education. So she built it herself, starting in her own basement with funding from Kaiser Permanente.
The program moved fast from the beginning. Within the first year, students had barely picked up their steelpans when the Maryland Olympic torchbearers came through Prince George's County. They asked if CAFE could perform. The students learned the national anthem in three days.
That story captures everything CAFE is: young people who rise to the moment, led by a founder who believed in them before they believed in themselves. Thirty years and 1,500+ students later, the mission has not changed. The reach has.
Meet the Founder
Lorna Green
Founder & Executive DirectorLorna Green did not set out to build an institution. She set out to solve a problem. What she found in Prince George's County in 1996 was a gap no one else was filling: arts-rich education for youth who deserved it and were not getting it. Her response was to start something, and she has not stopped since.
Under her leadership, CAFE has grown from a basement program into one of the most recognized youth arts organizations in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia region. CAFE students have performed at the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian, Strathmore, and the Maryland Governor's Mansion. The Positive Vibrations Youth Steel Orchestra (PVYSO) has claimed the Grand Championship title at the Virginia Beach International PANfest three times.
Lorna's impact extends beyond the stage. CAFE's 99% college enrollment rate reflects what happens when young people are taken seriously from day one, given structure, given craft, and given someone who believes they will succeed.
Purpose & Direction
What We Believe.
Where We Are Going.
Our Mission
CAFE is a youth-based program that uses the visual and performing arts as the catalyst to develop passion and discipline for learning, leadership, and academic achievement.
Our Vision
A world-class institution that instills in each student a passion for academic excellence, cultural intelligence, social leadership, and civic engagement.
"Dare to Dream, Prepare to Succeed"
What Guides Us
Our Core Values
Diversity
Every student who walks through our doors belongs here. We embrace racial, ethnic, and religious diversity as a strength, not a checkbox.
Innovation
We bring forward-thinking approaches to arts and academic education, building programs that evolve with the students we serve.
Social Justice
We affirm every child's right to achieve academic excellence. Quality arts education should never be a privilege reserved for a few.
Community
We acknowledge culture as a vital force in human life. CAFE is rooted in Prince George's County and built for the people who call it home.
30 Years of Milestones
A Legacy Built One Student at a Time
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1996
CAFE is Founded
Lorna Green launches the Cultural Academy for Excellence in Prince George's County, Maryland, starting in her own basement with support from Kaiser Permanente.
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Year One
First Performance: The Olympic Torchbearers
Within the first year, CAFE students learn the national anthem in three days and perform for Maryland's Olympic torchbearers. The standard is set early.
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Ongoing
National Stage Performances
The Positive Vibrations Youth Steel Orchestra (PVYSO) performs at the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Institution, Strathmore, and the Maryland Governor's Mansion.
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3× Champions
PANfest Grand Champions
PVYSO claims the Grand Championship title at the Virginia Beach International PANfest three times, establishing CAFE as a national leader in steelpan education.
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2024
Sue Hess Legacy Arts Advocate Award
Lorna Green receives the 2024 Sue Hess Legacy Arts Advocate of the Year honor from Maryland Citizens of the Arts, the largest recognition of arts advocacy in Maryland.
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2026
30th Anniversary
CAFE celebrates three decades of arts education, 1,500+ students served, and a 99% college enrollment rate. The next 30 years start now.
Where Our Students Have Performed
A Track Record That Speaks for Itself
Ready to Be Part of This?
Thirty Years Strong. Enrollment Open Now.
Whether you are a parent looking for the right program, a community member ready to give back, or a partner who shares our values — there is a place for you at CAFE.