Help the Creativity Shell Rochester Grow, ONE ROC at a Time!
FOUNDED 2015 – The Creativity Shell is a nonprofit organization on a mission to use creative trades to educate and inspire the next generation of makers. Our organization teaches sewing/ textile arts and other trades classes to students in our private studios, public libraries, schools and shelters that rescue children from homelessness, trauma and human trafficking. Our classes are designed to educate and inspire children by teaching them essential life and practical skills.
by June 2021, the Creativity Shell is hoping to purchase in the downtown sector of Rochester, NY and will transform the building into a Creativity Shell Design Center. The Designer Center will feature sewing/textile arts classes, cooking, catering, hydrophonics, STEM, media and other classes to local children in and around the neighborhood.
The Creativity Shell teaches sewing/textile arts classes to children as young as 5. In these classes, children are taught the practical skills such as using a sewing machine, threading needles, cutting fabric and making their own items. As they learn practical skills, they are also building on fundamental skills such as patience, problem solving, delayed gratification, confidence and self-esteem. To give students who excel in our sewing classes a real-world opportunity to showcase their skills, the Creativity Shell Design Center will feature a Costume Design Center that will house, distribute, design and/or create costumes for local middle school, high school and community theater groups. The Costume Design Center will provide a bridge from the world of sewing/textile arts to the world/careers of costuming for theatrical and motion pictures companies.
CREATIVITY CREATES JOBS – Students enrolled in Creativity Shell programs are also being trained with the necessary skills needed to work in the Costume Design Center as well as other local businesses. Youths 16 and older will have the ability to apply for jobs to sew, craft, create and construct costumes, sets and other skilled trades needed for theatrical productions while other students will learn tailoring/alteration skills necessary to work in local businesses. Due to the positive experience the Creativity Shell has gained from working with human trafficking survivors, autistic, students in the juvenile justice system as well as homeless youths; our organization is also planning to hire students with these backgrounds to work in open job positions when available.
CREATIVITY SUPPORTS THE COMMUNITY – Participating schools and theatrical programs will have the opportunity to obtain a membership to the Creativity Shell Costume Design Center. Membership will participating programs access to costume design and production services for multiple productions annually. Having a one stop shop for theatrical needs will be a huge cost savings for local productions, The Creativity Shell Costume Design Center will also be the first of its kind and a great place for students to learn, work and tserve the community.
CREATIVITY COOKS – Creativity Cooks is a meal delivery program that delivers food ingredients and recipes to children at their homes, schools or community centers. Recipes are written in a format that is easy for children to follow and fantastic for children to create a home cooked meal for themselves and their families. Videos of the projects are also available Online so children with special needs such as sight, hearing, literacy or language can easily follow along and cook. Creativity Cooks has also been a great program for children in low income households because the program provides a meal for the students, but also teaches them to cook at the same time.
CREATIVE COOKERY – Students who wish to take in-person cooking classes can sign up for a class at the Creative Cookery! Students will have access to their own meal kits as well as stove, oven and all other materials and supplies they need to make different meals.
CREATIVITY CATERS – The Commercial Kitchen that will be built in the New Creativity Shell Design Center will offer storage and prep space for foods and groceries for the Creativity Cooks Meal Program. The Kitchen will also be used to teach cooking classes for young students and catering classes for youths with a focus on homeless youths, youths in the juvenile justice system, foster care and on the autism spectrum.
EVENTS & EVENT PLANNING – he New Creativity Shell Design Center will also feature a small ballroom. The Creative and artistic ballroom will feature amazing works of art from local students. This space will be available for special events such as weddings as well as corporate events, galas and/or workshops. Students enrolled in the Creativity Caters program will be hired to cater events for the events held at the Creativity Shell.
CREATIVITY S.T.R.E.A.M. BUG – Students enrolled in the Creativity S.T.R.E.A.M Bug will receive a Program that will teach Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts and Math. Creativity S.T.R.E.A.M Bug students will be working on their own magazine that will make them write/research articles, create new designs in engineering, arts and more. Students can learn. Students enrolled in this magazine will also learn the business side of their magazine. They will learn to reach out to advertisers, pay for printing/operation costs and more. Funds they receive from the magazine will help them purchase new equipment, technology costs, programs and more! Students enrolled in this program will also be learning essential coding and computer skills while using art as a baseline. Students will use these skills to record and edit productions from the Costume Design Center, events held at the Creativity Shell Design Center as well as our organizations annual fashion show, Creativity Rocks as well as build websites, computer networks to view/ post media and more!
S.T.E.A.M SEWING + TEXTILE ARTS – The Creativity Shell is blending S.T.E.A.M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) skills with our sewing/textile arts program by teaching students to sew with Electricity Conductive Threads (ECT). Students in these classes learn to use ECT to add electrical elements to their garments such as LED lights. Students will also learn to “CODE” the electrical elements of their garments and allow them to “Light Up” in sequence. In the future, some of our students plan to create clothing that can charge smart watches and other devices.
PHILANTHROPY – As we teach our students to sew, we are also teaching them to give back to the community with programs such as Hats off to the Homeless & Refugees and Hearts for a Fresh Start. Hearts for a Fresh Start is a unique program that was recognized by the US House of Representatives in 2018. This program allows children to hand sew hearts on to washcloths which get delivered to shelters that rescue children from homelessness and human trafficking. Hats off to the Homeless and Refugees is another program that gives students the opportunity to make winter hats for people in our community who are in need.
MUNCHKIN MARKET – The Creativity Shell’s Munchkin Market gives students the opportunity to learn social, business, math and entrepreneurship skills. All items made and sold in the Munchkin Market are made exclusively by K-12 students. Students can keep the money they make from the market or can donate it back to an organization or cause of their choice. All students participating in Creativity Shell programs will have the opportunity to participate in the Munchkin Market.
M.A.D.E MARKET – Making a Difference Everyday! The M.A.D.E Market will allow the Creativity Shell to teach trades and art classes such as sewing/textile arts, cooking, woodworking and other crafts to homeless youths (16-24) as well human trafficking and domestic violence survivors. Students will participate in weekly classes where they will learn to make a variety of different art/craft items and they will also learn about business and finance as a method to keep track of the products and supplies they are using for their projects. At the end of each semester, the Creativity Shell plans to launch the first semi-annual M.A.D.E Market in Jones Park where people from all over the Rochester area can come and shop from the students who participated in the program. * Each student selling items at the M.A.D.E Market will get to KEEP the funds they raised from the items they sell. Students will also be encouraged to learn financial skills such as money management and banking.
CREATIVITY ROCKS SPACE @Seabreeze Amusement Park June 4, 2021 – One of the biggest Creativity Shell events of the year is our organization’s annual fashion show Creativity Rocks! The creative nature of our fashion show gives students the opportunity to artistically express themselves through dyeing fabrics, working with artistic themes, blending textiles and making unique items. The excitement of the students to finish and model their garments fulfilled the mission of the Creativity Shell by educating and inspiring the next generation of makers!