Chris Perez glances down at his magic cape with pride knowing that he has super powers unlike any other 8 year old boy in the world. His cape is a hand made custom design that he created in Creative Alliance’s Open Minds art and reading program at Highlandtown Library. The program links children’s stories with innovative art projects that encourage creativity and imagination. It is a program with several partners and sites, one of which is Enoch Pratt Free Library. Through these partnerships the Creative Alliance has been enriching the lives of Baltimore City youth for over 6 years. Many of the students return each semesterthroughout the fall, spring, and summer. The program becomes an integral part of their live and development. Open Minds has summer programs at Patterson, Canton, and Highlandtown library branches starting in June.

I have had the privilege to work with the Highlandtown program for several semesters in a teaching role as well as in an administrative role. I love this site because of the diversity of the students and the steady attendance. The high number of kids returning from semester to semester has allowed me to develop relationships with students and families that has resulted in exemplary parental involvement and enriching family programming such as our "midterm family night" and final exhibits. Supervising several diverse sights has allowed me to reach out to different neighborhoods and age groups and assess the needs and potential program development specific to each demographic. I have seen how this kind of problem solving on a macro level can make programs more beneficial, inclusive and accessible.