Taller Puertorriqueño Receives Great Friend to Kids Award.

A pioneer in Philadelphia’s Latino cultural arts community, Taller Puertorriqueño will be recognized for its work with children and youth when it receives the Great Friend to Kids Award in the community service category.

Awarded by the Please Touch Museum and celebrating its tenth year, the Great Friend to Kids Award is given to individuals and organizations with ties to the greater Philadelphia area that have made outstanding contributions to enriching the lives of children.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by an organization that understands the importance of arts in the lives of children,” stated Dr. Carmen Febo-San Miguel, Taller Puertorriqueño’s executive director, when she learned about the selection. “Taller’s ability to connect Puerto Rican and Latino children to their cultural heritage opens a world of discovery, understanding and respect for self and others that enrich their lives.”

From its early graphic and printmaking youth training center to its more current comprehensive arts education programs for children and youth, Taller’s arts education program allows students to explore their culture in a supportive environment. The multiple activities and components of these programs are chosen for their ability to foster student’s intellectual curiosity, promote self-worth, improve leadership skills and facilitate their development as active citizens proud of their artistic and cultural heritage.

Philadelphia lawyer Neil Boyden Tanner, who nominated Taller Puertorriqueño for the award, explained, “I nominated Taller Puertorriqueño because I believe that for every child who joins Taller there is one less child on the street who may turn to crime or drugs, but more importantly, there is one more child protected who will have his or her hopes and dreams nurtured in a caring and supportive environment.”

Taller Puertorriqueño Inc. (Taller) established in 1974 is a community based cultural organization whose primary mission is to preserve, develop and promote Puerto Rican artistic and cultural traditions, as well as the quality representation of other Latin American cultures and our common roots.