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The Broadside

The Student News Site of Central Oregon Community College

The Broadside

The Student News Site of Central Oregon Community College

The Broadside

Artist Inbox: CADA|CASA

Kyla Becker

The Broadside

CADA|CASA offers a unique variety of classes at the PoetHouse downtown.

Education holds the future, and the future is CADA|CASA

CADA|CASA is a com­munity education organiza­tion aimed at connecting educators and students of all ages, as well as connect­ing cultures through educa­tional programs. With sup­port from the community and the PoetHouse, a collection of new art classes will be of­fered through the program this year.

Tymon Emch founded CADA|CASA (Spanish for ‘each house’) in an effort to redefine education as a lifelong process that comes from passionate members of the community. Emch has been working with children for over a decade, participat­ing in after school programs, coaching and refereeing for soccer, math tutoring, and volunteering at the Bend Sci­ence Station.

Emch came up with the idea while spending six months living and working at a children’s home in Cusco, Peru. While teaching Eng­lish and acting as director of extracurricular activities in Cusco, Emch found that there was a large gap between the children’s perception of education and its relation to their life. Through explorative learning, positivity, commu­nity awareness, and envi­ronmental consciousness, Emch started CADA|CASA to encourage its students to get passionate about what inter­ests them.

The CADA|CASA proto­type began with passionate college students and US vol­unteers coming to speak to Emch’s group of kids in Peru about what they do, and how education is involved. Upon returning to the U.S., Emch wished to bring this idea of transforming enthusiastic, inspired members of the community into educators.

After speaking with the PoetHouse art community, Emch found a venue and sup­port staff to bring his idea to life in Bend. Currently, Bend CADA|CASA offers a variety of classes. This summer will see a big push of these classes at CADA|CADA, starting the week of June 14th. Registra­tion for these classes begins June 4th and lasting until June 12th. CADA|CASA’s classes are hosted at PoetHouse but have also branched out to the Top Leaf Matte Bar and Bend Park & Recreation.

However, 49 percent of CADA|CASA students do not pay for classes sim­ply because they cannot. It is important to Emch that CADA|CASA find sponsors to help with this situation. At CADA|CASA, two of every ten spots are reserved for schol­arships to children who lack the financial means to enroll in classes. The level of inter­est in the program has sur­passed its ability to internally fund these students.

The six-week classes cost between $60 and $80, which goes towards space usage, materials, and instructor costs. CADA|CASA asks for corporate or private sponsorships that can help pay for these classes but mentions that since they are not yet an official non-prof­it, donations are unfortunately not tax-deductible.

‘We are very grateful for anything that you or your company can donate to CADA | CASA,’ says the cada­casa.com website. ‘With your donation, we will include you as a donor in our newsletter and you will receive an invita­tion to CADA|CASA student art shows.’

CADA|CASA also has pro­grams in Peru and a few in Portland, but Emch hopes to expand further into Portland, as well as into Salem, Eugene and a few other locations.

“I just love kids,” says Emch.

With big dreams for the little people, Emch’s ideas aim to revolutionize to the way we look at education. To get involved, contact CADA|CASA or visit their website at cadacasa.com

You may contact Kyla Becker at [email protected]

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