The Lunch & Culture Club 2023-24

Dear Friends, Family, Community,

Thanks to you, The Lunch & Culture Club has grown over the past year into more than just extracurricular enrichment -- is is a safe, unique, and meaningful space for teenage girls to learn, play, dream out loud and work hard toward building the futures they want to create.

You have helped my students to practice leadership, enhance their creativity, expand their worldview, and multiply their academic potential in astounding ways!

As the 2022-23 school year comes to a close, I am moved and thrilled to update you on the real-life impact and incredible accomplishments you’ve made possible for these girls with your meaningful gifts.

Here are some highlights to celebrate:

https://youtu.be/h8s2_U5u5j8

CULTURAL OUTINGS

Students visited some of New York’s greatest cultural institutions, including The Met, The Whitney, and The Rubin, for the first time, not only studying visual art and history, but recognizing themselves within it. Exhibits on Afrofuturism, Black female beauty, and interactive mindfulness sparked inspiration and self-discovery throughout the group.

GROUP WORKSHOPS & COMMUNITY SERVICE

The club gathered for many cooking lessons, student-led family meals, and events, including a culinary celebration of Ramadan where one student guided her peers in preparing maafe, a traditional dish from Mali, her family’s country of origin. Over the holidays, the group took on a volunteer immersion at a local food pantry to prepare meals for the Harlem community.

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

Your funding made it possible for struggling students to receive crucial academic support. One student, Doussou Keita, came to me in distress, having failed her Chemistry Regent Exam. After working with a tutor to learn course material that was not accessible in school, Doussou not only passed the exam on her second attempt but boldly chose to enroll herself in an undergraduate-level course at City College!

She is now on track to graduate high school with an Advanced Regents Diploma!!!

Other students who fought similarly to overcome the educational delays of the pandemic will be leaving home this summer to attend pre-college immersion programs at elite universities like Emory and Harvard.

It is such a joy to see these young women learn, expand, and succeed!

I am in awe of their tenacity, intelligence, and willingness to take on new experiences despite the fear, adversity and isolation that defined their first years of high school.

But, as much growth as these remarkable girls have achieved this year, they are still in need of your support!

This month, I am raising funds to expand club offerings to include:

The cost of facilitating these offerings is out of reach for me, but with your help, these students will gain access to essential learning resources that will change the course of their lives.

My hope is that witnessing the terrific results of your first gift will inspire you to give again!

With this important donation, you are paving the way to a brighter future for a group of young women who have proven that when they receive the support they deserve, they can accomplish anything.

My students and I thank you for your kindness, generosity, and valuable contribution.

With love + gratitude,

Emelyn Daly