Life Pieces To Masterpieces develops character and leadership, unlocks potential, and prepares Black boys and young men to transform their lives and communities through the power of creative expression.

LPTM youth succeed in their own lives, set positive examples for their peers and communities, and help awaken the world to our shared humanity.

Source: Nonprofit submitted responses

Goal One: Increase the number of youth served in our OST programs by 10% annually over the next five years.

Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.

Goal Two: Solidify LPTM’s “Color Me Community” in-school program as a model for shifting a school’s culture of environment towards a more holistic, relationship-driven social-emotional approach.

Goal Type: New program(s) based on observed changes in needs among our constituencies/communities served.

Goal Three: Secure the financial future of LPTM, including building adequate operating reserves and establishing a new facility fund.

Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).

Describe an investment in leadership

LPTM develops leaders through Color Me Community (CMC) workshops, using the same Human Development System framework that assists LPTM youth in their own self-development. The result of LPTM’s 25 years of experience in human development, CMC provides a nurturing and nonjudgmental environment for people of all races and identities to safely grapple with issues that deeply divide and separate us from one another. 15 LPTM staff members and 40 volunteers participated in three CMC’s this year, guiding them through the internal work necessary to participate in the positive development of youth. LPTM sent three members of the leadership team to the Beyond School Hours conference, contributing to their growth as educators and leaders. Two LPTM leaders participated in the National Convening of the Justice Arts Coalition, experiencing three days of workshops on creative expression and storytelling. They also facilitated a Color Me Community workshop for more than 50 attendees at the Convening.

This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:

• Strategic Partnerships

• Networks of Collective Impact Efforts

• Thought Leadership

• Raising Awareness

• Community Building

• Policy Advocacy

What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?

LPTM builds strategic partnerships with local government and nonprofit organizations for OST programmatic support, collective impact and advocacy, thought leadership, and direct services for our families. Our Color Me Community workshop is regularly a part of numerous local and national conferences, recently including the Justice Arts Coalition, the National Association of the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, and the National Mentoring Summit. LPTM is a founding member of the DC Arts Education Alliance collectively supporting youth across the District, and regularly supports the DC OST Coalition and the national Afterschool Alliance in advocacy work - led by LPTM youth alongside LPTM leadership. LPTM builds a movement in support of our mission through social media, art exhibitions, youth performances, and videography. LPTM is currently producing ​​a provocative documentary showcasing the brilliance and creativity inherent in Black boys and young men.

Through deep connections with our young men and their families, the resiliency and dedication of our staff and board, strong community partnerships, and COVID-19 emergency funding from DC’s philanthropic community, LPTM was able to maintain full programming and staffing from the onset of the pandemic to the present. Using the same problem-solving practices we teach our apprentices (Connect – Create – Contribute – Celebrate), we connected immediately with our entire universe of youth, families, community partners, staff, board, investors, and volunteers to come together to develop responses to COVID-19’s countless challenges. While the vast majority of youth-serving and arts organizations were closing their doors at the start of the pandemic, Life Pieces remained open – successfully adapting and expanding our services to meet the needs of our community. From the day DC public schools shut down on March 13th, LPTM immediately responded to restructure and transform our programming to a virtual space and then to rapidly develop a combination of virtual and in-person platforms. LPTM was unique among out-of-school academic and arts programming in sustaining a level of in-person learning for all but a few weeks through the use of tents and outdoor venues while also pivoting in response to family feedback to meet urgent needs for groceries, personal protective equipment and transportation. This minimized both academic and social learning loss for most of our Apprentices. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Life Pieces to use our programming creativity and resources to the fullest. Despite the challenges it posed, we have maintained intentional connection and engagement with our families and apprentices. All of our programs are active and have been adapted to either virtual, hybrid, or outdoor settings. We are now in a position to pivot nimbly from virtual to in-person, to hybrid learning depending on the needs and safety of our apprentices.