Movement Exchange at the University of Pittsburgh
Founded
in 2020, Movement Exchange at the University of Pittsburgh is a chapter of the
national Movement Exchange organization. We work to unite dance and service
through a network of university chapters, international dance exchanges, and
sustainable year-round programs in underserved communities. Dance education
enables all to achieve optimal mental, social, and physical well-being. Our
values include cross-cultural understanding, creative expression, and social
equity and inclusion. We believe that dance education should be accessible to
all. In order to achieve the goals and values of Movement Exchange, we work
locally with Allegheny Youth Development to provide inner-city youth with
access to weekly dance classes.
The
money we raise during Pitt Day of Giving will allow us to expand our outreach
in the Pittsburgh community and fund our international dance exchange to Panama
City, Panama in May of this year. During the week-long service event in Panama,
our members will connect and teach dance to the children in the local
orphanages and schools. We also will have the chance to strengthen our
cross-cultural awareness by taking dance classes from local artists. A portion
of the money we fundraise is directly donated to those teachers and the
orphanages we collaborate with.
We are
so grateful to have this opportunity to combine our love for dance with service
and share it with children who haven’t had the same experiences. Since we are a
new club that was founded during the Covid-19 Pandemic, we have had minimal
funding. We hope that Pitt Day of Giving will provide a great opportunity to
raise money for our mission.