Mission Statement

THE IMAGINE PROJECT Inc., a not for profit 501(c) 3 corporation, dedicated to nurturing a child’s creativity through the arts, was founded in 1990 on the principle that there exists within each child a creative energy which must not lie dormant. Rather, this creativity must be channeled to radiate light. For energy misdirected can lead to things far more destructive than darkness. We must create and facilitate a safe environment for children to explore and engage these creative forces. We must encourage and enable them toward the realization of these vast talents and creative abilities. We must help to nurture, develop and when necessary recapture those innate gifts of childhood which so often are lost by the age of ten as children begin to ask: “What if they laugh at me? What if I make a mistake?”

We believe above all else that art has the power to save lives. We have seen this time and again since our inception. We have nurtured underserved children who barely speak; to sing, children who hardly move; to dance, children who never thought it possible, to turn their own ideas into staged works of art with music created by the children themselves. For many children The Imagine Project may be the only place they may ever have to discover that all accomplishments start with a dream, and that all dreams are possible.

 

---

I believe all children are born geniuses. As we grow, most of the wonder is taken away by the day to day realities of life. I have seen over the years that The Imagine Project has the power to bring this magic back into [children’s] lives, allowing them to rediscover their own extraordinary potential. The Imagine Project is without question the most beautiful program I have ever experienced.

– Dr. Charles DeStefano, Chief Child Psychologist, Child Study Center, NY, NY