Buffalo's CEPA Gallery will be honored Friday at the White House as First Lady Michelle Obama presents the 2013 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award.
CEPA is being recognized for engaging young people in the arts and humanities through its after-school program.
"I have been here for four years and those four years I have been doing my job... more English. So I know more than when I come from Puetro Rico," said Jose Lagares.
Lagares is an 18-year-old a junior at Lafayette High School in Buffalo. Lagares and his family came to Buffalo from Puerto Rico. He is one of the students in CEPA's after-school photography program.
CEPA is one of only 12 after-school and out-of-school programs in the United States to receive the top honor award. Lauren Tent is CEPA's Education Director.
Credit WBFO News photos by Eileen Buckley
Lauren Tent is CEPA's Education Director & Jose Lagares inside CEPA at the Market Arcade building in downtown Buffalo discuss the after-school photography program.
"Our photography programs inspire kids to think more carefully and critically about photography, about the world around them," said Tent. "And I think most importantly, it brings kids together from all different parts of the city and the suburbs and they learn a lot about each other from this program."
Students learn all aspects of photography from traditional darkroom photography to digital and photo shop. Lagares admits that the photography program has helped him stay focused and out of trouble.
"If my friend do something bad, I don't care, I'm doing my job and I stay with what I'm doing. My mom -- she's going to be proud of me and my daddy," said Lagares.
Lagares said he plans to go to college to learn more about a possible career in photography.
On Friday, the teen and Tent will be appearing before the First Lady as she presents this honor to CEPA Gallery.
This is the highest honor such programs can receive. The awards are administered by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH), in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
First Lady Michelle Obama will present the award to CEPA Gallery in a ceremony to be broadcast live via streaming video from the East Room of the White House.
WHEN: Friday, November 22, 2013 2:00 PM EST
WHERE: The White House, Washington, D.C. Available via live streaming video at: www.whitehouse.gov/live
RSVP: Media interested in being present at the White House to cover the event must RSVP by sending an email to firstladypress@who.eop.sgov by Wednesday, November 20th at 12:00 PM EST. Press who do not have a White House hard pass must include their name, social security number, date of birth, country of citizenship, current city/state of residence and gender.
WHY: Studies have shown that low-income youth engaged in arts programs are more likely to stay in school, to get good grades, to graduate, and to enroll in college, thereby addressing several critical challenges confronting our youth and our community.