CALDERA

DAN WIEDEN AND HIS FAMILY ESTABLISHED CALDERA IN 1996 TO FOCUS ON THE STRENGTHS OF YOUTH AND THEIR COMMUNITIES, LED BY THE BELIEF THAT "WHEN YOUTH ARE GIVEN ACCESS TO THE EXPLOSIVE POWER OF CREATIVITY, THEY CAN CHANGE THEIR WORLD." SINCE THEN, CALDERA HAS ENGAGED OVER 15,000 YOUTH THROUGH AN AWARD-WINNING, SEVEN-YEAR COHORT MODEL THAT INCLUDES A ROBUST SUMMER PROGRAM, IN-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS, RESIDENCIES AND PERFORMANCES. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.IN 2024, CALDERA'S APPRENTICE PROGRAM CAME BACK IN A BIG WAY. THE 2024-25 COHORT CONSISTED OF TEN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: FIVE IN PORTLAND AND FIVE IN CENTRAL OREGON. THESE TEN EMERGING ARTISTS TOOK THE SPARK OF CREATIVITY THAT THEY FOUND AS CALDERA YOUTH AND EXPLORED IT FURTHER. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO CREATE ART FOR OTHERS? HOW MUCH POWER DOES A CREATIVE VOICE HAVE, AND WHAT CAN IT ACCOMPLISH? THESE WERE QUESTIONS THEY SOUGHT TO ANSWER THROUGH THEIR WORK AND THE EXPERIENCES THEY HAD AS APPRENTICES.ALL OF OUR YOUTH WORK INCORPORATES THESE CORE INGREDIENTS: AWE AND WONDER, INTERCULTURAL CONNECTION, SAFETY, SELF-REFLECTION, FAILURE AND RESILIENCE, DEPENDABILITY, AND APPLIED CREATIVITY. ALL EVALUATION ACTIVITIES WERE COMPLETE/SCHEDULED WITH ANALYSIS UNDERWAY. MORE THAN 200 PRE- AND POST-SURVEYS, NINE PARTNER SURVEYS, FIVE YOUTH FOCUS GROUPS, AND 18 ALUMNI INTERVIEWS COMPLETED AS PART OF THE EVALUATION PLAN LAUNCHED LAST YEAR. WHAT WE'VE LEARNED SO FAR? IMPACT INCREASES OVER TIME IN THE YOUTH PROGRAM AND THAT YOUNG PEOPLE BUILD CONFIDENCE, CONNECTION, AND CREATIVITY.WE SERVED 496 YOUNG LEARNERS; 190 OF THEM DURING THE BELOVED SUMMER PROGRAM.