Actor and artist Renoly Santiago began the first workshop by praising the group members, telling them, "You applied and you're here, so we know you are going to get somewhere in life—you care enough about yourselves to come here."
The series is a collaboration between Globalhood and Family Bodega. Frank Cohn, executive director of Globalhood, said that as the group's facilitator, Renoly "engaged and inspired the youth, challenging them to find and step out of their comfort zones." The young people will learn about photography, poetry, and spoken-word performance, and will attend the Broadway musical In the Heights together. At the end of the workshop, they will exhibit their photographs and perform for family and friends.
