Leveraging NYC Investments More than 3:1

Visionary City Council Members

We have leveraged $2.9M in NYC Council Investments to raise more than $11M to help eradicate artless education since 2014.

Since 2014, twenty-nine NYC Council Members have provided 175 awards totaling $2.9 Million to help bring Thrive Collective to 250 schools and communities in all five boroughs. To date, Thrive has leveraged these investments to raise more than $11 Million to serve more than 35,000 students by strengthening arts, music, sports, and mentoring programs. In FY25, twelve Council Members provided 21 awards totaling $369,000.

Current Schools and Community Centers

As of 2023, Thrive Collective serves 200 schools and community centers in 42 of 51 NYC Council districts. Interactive Map.

In 2024, Thrive’s core programs worked with 5,000 students in 65 schools, producing 140 murals totaling over 40,000 sq. ft. of public art; nearly 80 art festivals, ribbon cutting celebrations, assemblies, and basketball tournaments. In addition, we helped support and produce the Boone Avenue Walls (BX), BedStuy Walls (BK), and Peace in the Park (SI) mural festivals, and our 600th mural was commissioned by The Today Show to celebrate Hoda Kotb’s 60th birthday.

Together, these visionary colleagues are helping Bring Art Back for a renaissance in public education and placemaking citywide.

Tangible Outcomes

Return on Investment

Our project-based learning experiences reset the bar of possibility for all who participate. Our students learn how to develop a shared vision and bring that vision to life collaboratively with others. Tangible, immediate outcomes include murals, music, videos, events, festivals, sports leagues and tournaments, mentoring relationships, and transferable life skills essential for thriving. Click the images below to enjoy portfolios of the public art murals students have completed with Council support since FY14. Enjoy original songs and music videos by R.H.Y.M.E. here. Watch student films produced here.

Good News Stories

NYC x Thrive Collective Updates

Culture Making 2023

Thank you, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, for investing in Thrive Collective’s mission to eradicate artless education since 2016. In FY23, our students and artists completed: 156 school and community…

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RHYME x RSA: “Persevere”

Thrive Collective/R.H.Y.M.E. collaborated with Renaissance School of the Arts to create the song “Persevere.” Over the course of 16 weeks, students and Teaching Artists connected to learn about hip-hop, song…

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