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Stay Informed
Welcome to the information hub. Get details on current and future initiatives being offered. As well as the opportunity to RSVP for any upcoming J'Ouvert events.
Our Objective
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To educate people about the Arts and Cultures of the Caribbean
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Create avenues to display our culture, Steelband, Calypso and Masquerade bands
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To promote a street production of cultural activities on Labor Day in Brooklyn
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To Preserve historical records and costumes of Carnivals.
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To promote Stay in School programs, using culture as one of the tools.
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To educate and assist people with problems they are faced, housing, health & education
Services
JCI hosts an Annual Presentation of Awards and Trophies and Launching of J’Ouvert celebration
• JCI works in collaboration with Nostrand & Flatbush Avenues Street Fair. “Theatre Of The Streets, Carnival Block"
• JCI also created Caribbean Museum to display costumes in different malls/community centers
• JCI Monthly Informational Newsletter – the Newsletter features Art, Culture, Social Issues, Politics & Entitlements, such as Medicaid, Medicare, Managed Care, Housing, Food Stamps, Social Security, etc. •
• JCI held several workshops on Emergency Preparedness, Voter Education Voter Participation
Activities of JCI extend beyond the cultural celebration, it also promotes educational growth and political awareness. In addition to costume and band competitions, J'Ouvert also provides academic scholarships and encourages the Caribbean community to be responsible citizens by voting and staying informed. All our organization publications carry a political or social message informing the community about different issues that directly affect their lives, such as; Medicaid, healthcare, voting, and other relevant issues. See some of our special initiatives below.
The Kwame Ola Rennie Initiative
NEW PROGRAM - JCI has created a new initiative in honor of Kwame Ola Rennie
“Bringing J’Ouvert to the Forefront”
This initiative aims to create sustainable tourism, apprenticeship, and career opportunities around Brooklyn's J'Ouvert celebration and parade by providing job skills training to artists to seek employment as tour guides, teaching artists, and skilled tradespeople.
TITLE: Make Media “Write” For You
• Categories of Media
• Press releases 101
• Different communication tools i.e., Press releases, media advisory, op-eds, articles.
• The use OF PSAs
• Community journalism
• Tips on submission
TITLE: A Matter of Money: How to Get Corporate Sponsorship
TITLE: Standing at the Gate: Become a Certified Security Guard in 2 hours
DESCRIPTION: Security plays an important role in NYC street festivals and events like our J’Ouvert. Every year, fees are paid to professional security guards to secure Mas camps, Steel Pan Yards, and during all activities on the road to J’Ouvert morning.
TITLE: Bringing Nightlife to the Neighborhood (featuring The Mayor's Office of Nightlife)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION: Talented team at the Office of Nightlife will begin a conversation with the J’Ouvert family on sustaining your neighborhood partnerships during Carnival season. Our goal is to help ensure a more vibrant, viable, safe, fair, and well managed nightlife environment in New York City. Nightlife is a vital part of the city's economy, culture, and identity, supporting nearly 300,000 jobs and generating $35.1 billion in economic impact. New York’s nightlife has also long been an important incubator of cultural movements and continues to provide spaces for connection, creativity, and personal expression. The Office of Nightlife works to support these important contributions by coordinating City services and programs to promote responsible growth, diversity, creativity, inclusion, and quality of life for all New Yorkers and visitors from around the world.
TITLE: Steel Pan Tuning in New York
BRIEF DESCRIPTION: This program will feature the release of steel pan tuning videos as well as a live question and answer session about the steel pan tuning tradition in New York City.
FULL DESCRIPTION: Through our Bringing J’Ouvert to the Forefront initiative, we recognize the cost of hiring a steel pan tuner. To confront the lack of resources available for J’Ouvert artists, we are dedicated to increasing the number of, and education of steel pan tuners that are locally available Categorizing Tessitura in Orchestra
Sinking & Marking (Note separation)
• Grooving, Setting/Backing
• Cutting and Burning
• Protective Finish
• Fine Tuning and Blending
The Earl King Initiative
NEW PROGRAM - JCI has created a new initiative in honor of EARL KING, FOUNDER , J’OUVERT CITY INTERNATIONAL, INC “ School Steelband Initiative”
J’Ouvert Camps in Schools (JCS) To introduce the Caribbean culture and history within the public school system, am afterschool program that teaches students the steelpan art form, along with custom design, storytelling and song writing.
Title: We Are J'Ouvert
Brief Description: Participants will feel empowered together as they create community projects and events utilizing skills and techniques learned. Being the directors and producers of their creation, as well as the entire crew behind their collective visions.
