. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ifetayo Cultural Arts Academy, Inc. is an arts and cultural organization dedicated to supporting the creative, educational and vocational development of youth and families of African descent. Our organization strives to enhance their lives by providing programs in cultural awareness, performing and visual arts, as well as academic instruction, health and wellness, and professional skills development. In addition, we provide social services to our students and their families either directly or through referrals to strategic partners. In the African tradition of kinship, cooperation and respect, we encourage our students and their families to:
Work collectively for the benefit of their respective communities and the larger global community.
Be leaders, developing her/his unique sense of capabilities and potential.
Equally important is our engagement of the parents and the families of children we serve and the schools that nurture them.For nineteen years we have taken a leadership role in developing the community we serve by improving the quality of life for its members. We are a supportive community and extended family able to provide our students with skills development and new perceptions leading to responsible decision-making. Our name comes from the West African Yoruba word meaning, "Love brins happiness."
Our faculty consists of highly skilled professional artists, scholars and experienced teachers, and includes published poets, former directors of music schools, artists who have exhibited at such venues as the Brooklyn Museum, and performers from such companies as Dance Theater of Harlem, Alvin Ailey, Jubilation Dance Company, and Miami City Ballet.Ifetayo has been a pillar of strength in Brooklyn and surrounding neighborhoods, inspiring a new generation to reach high levels of creative, personal and academic achievement. Since 1989, we have grown to serve over 800 students and their families in seven major programs demonstrating our ability to involve and retain young people whose needs are being met successfully.You must act as if it is impossible to fail.
- Ashanti proverb