The Butterfly Effect Project, a youth mentorship project with its roots in the Riverhead School District, is expanding to Greenport this fall thanks to a new partnership with the North Fork Arts Center — a new community arts clubhouse in a former movie theater right downtown.
Pictured Above: Tijuana Fulford and Alison Omens at a recent fundraising event.
The Butterfly Effect Project’s programs meet every other week to work on a curriculum helping students build healthy relationships, care for themselves and their community, build confidence and develop critical thinking skills.
“It’s a natural connection. It’s a community organization that’s trying to foster creativity, dreaming and opportunity,” said Alison Omens, executive director of the North Fork Arts Center, at an Aug. 13 donor event for the Butterfly Effect Project (BEP) at Paumanauk Vineyards, just down the street from BEP headquarters in Aquebogue.
“She has heard our cry for help,” said BEP Founder Tijuana Fulford of Ms. Omens. “She said “we’d love to have a chapter in Greenport! What can we do to help? I’m excited to collaborate and partner with the North Fork Arts Center, and hopefully this will just grow alongside them.”
The Butterfly Effect Project is currently looking for two ‘ambassadors’ to help lead the Greenport program, along with volunteers, and is now accepting students through an online application process. Parents can also contact Butterfly Effect Project headquarters at 631.591.0759 for more information.
The chapter is anticipated to meet on alternate Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. from October through June, according to BEP Director of Operations Caroline Nadeau. It will be open to youth from the first grade through high school.
“We are absolutely still looking for volunteers,” she said. “We’d especially love to connect with people from Greenport and across the North Fork. There is no one specific background or skill set required — we welcome people with all different interests, careers, experiences and talents who want to support our participants and programming.”
Applications to volunteer are available at bepgirls.org.
The Butterfly Effect Project now has more than 30 chapters across Suffolk County, serving more than 800 students.
“We are giving them the opportunity to dream, to imagine themselves in a situation like this, on a beautiful afternoon,” said Ms. Fulford at the vineyard event, reminding attendees that many students in the program can’t imagine themselves going to college, or enjoying a sunny afternoon at a local vineyards. “Alison said ‘when can we start?’ We are so excited to be working alongside of her.”
There are ways to get involved with BEP’s work all across the East End, but one of the most fun ways is to get up and dance.
The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center will host a Butterfly benefit concert —“The Soul of Marvin,” a tribute to Marvin Gaye — on Sept. 5 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $64-$87 and are available at whbpac.org.
To find out more about the Butterfly Effect Project’s work, visit bepgirls.org. — BHY
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