This week, the Kynock Foundation turned classrooms into dance floors in its final artist-in-residence program in 2024 at Esperanza Academy in Lawrence.
Students were introduced to the art of Salsa dancing thanks to an incredible workshop by Andres Giraldo and Kelly Bachovchin from Salsa Y Control Dance Company! 💃🕺
These unforgettable moments — where classrooms become performance spaces — are made possible by the support of our donors. Help us bring more magic into schools by donating to our annual fund before the end of the year.
Are you an educator or community leader interested in hosting an artist-in-residence in 2025? We’d love to hear from you! 📧 Email us at: kynockfund@kynockfoundation.org
The Kevin C. Kynock Foundation for the Arts kicked off its exciting new Artist-in-Residence program in October 2024 with a powerful showcase of art, culture, and connection. This pilot program brings professional artists into schools to engage and inspire students through live performances, workshops, and storytelling.
For our inaugural event, the Foundation partnered with spoken word artist Nayellie Estrella, who performed at the Community Charter School of Cambridge during its Hispanic Heritage Month assembly. Nayellie captivated more than 150 students across four different sets, weaving stories of her upbringing as a Latina woman in East Boston. Her spoken word pieces resonated with the diverse student body, particularly those of Hispanic and Latino backgrounds, fostering a sense of pride and understanding.
Nayellie Estrella (left) performs in front of students at the Community Charter School of Cambridge. (Photo by Matt Porter)
A Powerful Connection
The experience created powerful connections for both the artist and the school participants.
Nayellie Estrella reflected on her experience:
“[The program] has been incredibly smooth and rewarding. I had the privilege of connecting with a fantastic school, filled with wonderful students and supportive faculty who made me feel truly welcomed. Being the first spoken word artist to participate in this initiative is a humbling experience, and I am deeply grateful for this opportunity.”
Nayellie Estrella with students and staff from the Community Charter School of Cambridge after her performance. (Photo by Matt Porter)
The program also earned praise from Eliza Inder, who helped arrange the program with the Community Charter School of Cambridge:
“The Kynock Foundation did an amazing job listening to what we wanted for our artist-in-residence and finding the perfect spoken word artist for our Hispanic Heritage Month programming. Nayellie not only did an amazing job going with the flow as last-minute changes came up but also engaged with the students really well and had a great time. We are so grateful that our students and staff had this opportunity!”
Students from the Community Charter School of Cambridge with spoken word artist Nayellie Estrella. (Photo by Matt Porter)
On the Horizon
The success of this first event sets the stage for the next Artist-in-Residence program, happening this December at Esperanza Academy in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Andres Giraldo, a celebrated salsa dancer from Boston’s renowned Salsa Y Control dance company, will lead a dynamic dance workshop with students. This collaboration is especially meaningful for Esperanza Academy, which serves a predominantly Hispanic and Latino student population.
The Kynock Foundation hopes to expand this program permanently in 2025. You can help make this vision a reality by supporting their 2024 Annual Fund. Your contribution will bring the transformative power of the arts to more students across Massachusetts.
Are you an educator in Greater Boston interested in hosting an artist at your school? Reach out to the Foundation at kynockfund@kynockfoundation.org for more details.
On a warm sunny day in May, the Kynock Foundation brought more than 30 students from Esperanza Academy in Lawrence to Boston’s Wang Theatre. The students came to see the historic, highly acclaimed African-American Dance Theater perform in heart of the city.
Students from Esperanza Academy on a Kynock Arts Immersion Trip to see the Alvin Ailey Dance Company at the Wang Theatre.
On entering the magnificent Wang Theatre, one student asked: “Is this Cinderella’s house?”
The students were able to watch the diverse set of dancers take the stage for a two-and-a-half-hour performance. The students left the amazing display of storytelling smiling and excited. Some said they would remember the day for a very long time.
“The kids are still talking about it,” said Esperanza Academy education partner Savannah Armstrong days after the trip. “Thank you so much [to the Kynock Foundation] for all of [its] dedication to bring this opportunity to life for our students!”
Students from Esperanza Academy in the Wang Theater with student board member Liam Fitch ’25 on far right.
In addition to the students from Esperanza Academy, the Kynock Foundation welcomed its first student board member Liam Fitch (BC High ’25) on the trip. Liam will spend the next year helping support the Foundation’s work as a volunteer board member throughout the 2024-2025 school year.
The Kevin C. Kynock Foundation announces Aaron Fernandes, BC High Class of 2024, as the winner of this year’s Kevin C. Kynock Award, an honor that recognizes his outstanding talent in the arts, his leadership, and service.
Aaron is a multi-talented musician, proficient in both the violin and clarinet, and a dedicated singer in the choir, where he serves as vice-president. His musical talents are impressive alone, but what truly set Aaron apart for our panel of distinguished judges was his dedication to mentoring younger musicians and his unwavering commitment to service.
Aaron spends many of his free hours outside of class in mentorship roles at BC High. He is also a leader in several off-campus service organizations including serving as a leader for a local English as a Second Language Tutoring Program, serving several public service youth organizations, and representing Massachusetts as its “youth governor” in 2023.
Kynock Foundation Board Member Matt Porter ’05 congratulates 2024 Kynock Award Winner Aaron Fernandes ’24
One judge remarked that Aaron is “an exceptionally well-rounded candidate for the Kynock Award,” highlighting not only his artistic abilities but also his leadership and service qualities.
Another judge wrote in support of him, “Aaron has incredible skill with the violin personally, but also actively works to support and include newer players. Beyond the arts, his involvement in student government and clear interest and skill at civics and politics shows exceptional leadership.”
Aaron Fernandes sings in two different performances at Boston College High School.
The award is named after Kevin C. Kynock, a revered English and theatre teacher who dedicated four decades to inspiring students at Morrissey Boulevard, this award honors a student who reflects Kevin’s passion for the arts and commitment to service. Kevin’s legacy is one of enthusiasm and dedication, and today, we continue to honor him by celebrating students who embody these values.
This award is made possible by the generous support of our donors, whose commitment and dedication ensures that we can continue to honor students like Aaron who make significant contributions to our community.
It is with immense pleasure and gratitude that we share with you the resounding success of our most recent Kynock Arts Immersion trips.
This spring, we were able to provide enriching and transformative experiences for 60 students from schools in Lawrence and Brockton, Massachusetts. The students embarked on unforgettable journeys to witness the magic of live theatre, free of charge.
Our first adventure took us to the historic Strand Theatre in Dorchester, Massachusetts, where students from Esperanza Academy in Lawrence enjoyed a captivating performance of Shakespeare’s timeless classic, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Their laughter, awe, and engagement throughout the show were a testament to the power of the arts to inspire and ignite imagination.
The Esperanza teacher on the trip said, “We love it! Such a huge gift to our school and students.”
Esperanza Academy students on stage at the Strand Theater for the performance of "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
In our second trip of the spring, we brought students from New Heights Charter School in Brockton to Emerson College’s Greene Theater. Our group of middle and high school students were treated to a thrilling retelling of of Peter Pan in “Second Star to the Right,” a play written by an award-winning student playwright. The students were drawn in by a performance of young artists just several years older than themselves.
“This was awesome,” said a teacher after the trip, “It was a great way to get our scholars into the theater and show them an experience they might not have had before.”
Students and teachers from New Heights Charter School at Emerson College's Greene Theater to see "Second Star to the Right"
As we celebrate the success of these immersion trips, our spring is not complete.
We will take another two groups from these schools in the coming weeks to “A Wrinkle in Time” at the Wheelock Family Theater and to the Boch Wang Theater to see the world-renowned Alvin Ailey Dance Company perform live on stage.
It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of the passing of William “Bill” Burke, Jr.
Bill spent 60 years inspiring young minds as a drama director, teacher, and administrator at Boston College High School. Many of those years were spent teaching and laughing alongside his dear friend, Kevin Kynock.
Bill was a devoted supporter of the Kynock Foundation for the Arts from its very first days. He was always willing to bring a friend to an event, share a story about Kevin, or give an idea on how to grow as an organization. Just as he did over his 60 year career, he was always looking to help – however and whenever he could.
This past fall, we were able to honor Bill for his amazing career at BC High and his commitment to our organization. Even though his lifetime of achievement spoke for itself, Bill was as humble and self-effacing about it as ever.
Our group would not exist without Bill and his commitment that has helped us bring unique arts experiences to hundreds of students in and around Boston.
Bill Burke is honored at the 2023 Kynock Foundation Gala.
From all of us at the Kynock Foundation, we say thank you Bill. And we share our prayers for you, your family, and every person whose live you touched.
The Kynock Foundation Board Jimmy D’Amico Brendan Kennedy Signe Lindberg Matt Porter
The 2023 Kevin C. Kynock Foundation Gala was a complete success thanks to our devoted supporters.
The Kynock Foundation board with Bill Burke. From left to right: Signe Lindberg, Brendan Kennedy, Bill Burke, Matt Porter, and James D’Amico.
On Saturday, we were able to celebrate how far we’ve come in the last six years with support from people like you:
Kynock Trips to see live performances in Boston have continued, bringing more than 75 students to see live theater, many attending a live performance for the first time. For every $100 raised, as many as six youths can be sent to see a live performance.
The Kevin Kynock Award has been granted annually to a senior student at BC High who has shown a commitment to leadership in the arts.
Kevin’s name lives on at the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, supporting their youth apprenticeship program.
A group of students from the all-girls school Esperanza Academy at the Wheelock Family Theater in Boston.
On Saturday, we heard from Pati Fernandez at Esperanza Academy in Lawrence, Mass. who said about her school’s recent Kynock Trip to the Wheelock Theater in Boston.
“Our students saw actors who looked like them on stage and said, ‘I can do that because they look like me!’ The Kynock Foundation was instrumental not because they just paid for the trip, but because they worked with us to find the right trip for our students and our curriculum.“
We were also able to recognize Bill Burke, friend and colleague of Kevin, with an award for his outstanding support of our organization from Day 1. Without his help, none of our work would have been possible.
Bill Burke is honored at the 2023 Kynock Foundation Gala.
With your support, we hope to expand our Kynock Trip program bringing another 75 students or more to see live performances in 2024. We also intend to fund opportunities for artists to visit schools giving group workshops.
If you have not donated to our 2023 Annual Fund, please consider doing it now. Our budget for 2024 is determined by how much we raise by December 31st.
We also want to thank our gala sponsors Wegmans, Zugibe Vineyards, Boston College High School, Boston College Theatre, the Institute for Contemporary Art, and the JFK Presidential Library and Museum for their support of this year’s gala.
Join us Saturday, October 14 for the return of the Kevin C. Kynock Foundation Annual Gala! UPDATE: The location of the gala will now be at the Ridge at Blue Hills clubhouse at 800 West Street in Braintree, MA.
In the three years since our last major in-person fundraiser, the Kynock Foundation has continued its mission of supporting youth in the arts thanks to its generous donors. This October, we invite those supporters and newcomers to the organization to celebrate our work and look to the future.
Our organization works diligently to find ways to engage young people with the arts through the help of supporters like you.
The Kynock Foundation also continues to support apprenticeships at the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. The CSC performs free Shakespeare on the Boston Common each year and the Kynock Foundation has been a supporter since 2006.
We hope you will be able to join us and help support our mission for the next year. Thanks to generous donations from a host committee, every dollar raised during this year’s fundraiser will go directly into supporting our programs for 2024 and beyond.
Tickets are free for this event with a suggested donation of $25 at the door. You can also make a donation in advance to our 2023 annual fund online or by mail at:
Kynock Foundation 22 Brooksbie Road Bedford, MA 01730
If you have questions about the gala, you can email kynockfund@kynockfoundation.org.
The gala will take place at the Ridge at Blue Hills Clubhouse at 800 West Street in Braintree, Mass. Food and drink will be provided. Free parking on site is available.
Kevin inspired us to be better people through the arts, join us to celebrate his legacy and how we can carry it on to others!.
In April, the Kynock Foundation presented the Kynock Award to Boston College High School senior Denzel Cofie ’23. Denzel is a student of both the performing and visual arts. Denzel excelled as a stage manager and lighting designer for the Dever Players. He also captured the imagination of his peers and professors through his artwork — winning several accolades for his work.
Denzel Cofie ’23 receives the Kevin C. Kynock Award from Matt Porter ’05.
But his talents were not the only thing that distinguished Denzel as a Kynock honoree, he also served in several leadership roles at BC High including senior mentor and house captain.
His visual arts teacher Kay Myers described him in this way:
“Denzel’s quiet demeanor can’t obscure that he is an accomplished and committed artist who works to improve his skills, with a dedication to his process that shows in his work…He is a positive presence in class; he shares feedback during critiques with his classmates to the betterment of all.”
A Kynock alumnus and member of the award selection committee said Cofie embodies the ideals of the award.
“I feel like this is the student Kevin would pick. He is quiet but has clearly learned to lead in his own way.”
Denzel received a $1,000 award in addition to being recognized in front of his classmates as a Kynock Award honoree.
When the Kevin C. Kynock Foundation for the Arts launched its Kynock Trips program bringing underserved youth to live performances for free in 2019, no one knew that theaters and concert halls would soon shut down and not resume normal operations for nearly three years.
The success of the 2019 pilot program, which brought a group of 25 young children from Boston to see The Frogs at the Boston Conservatory, earned us funding for more trips from Eastern Bank. However, it took us until the summer of 2022 to start bringing young people back to see live performances.
In 2022, we were able to fund a small contingent of families from South Boston and Dorchester to see 1776 at the American Repertory Theater. However, COVID vaccination protocols still made it difficult to bring a larger group to see a performance.
A father and daughter join a group of families to see “1776” at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge.
Finally, in May 2023, we were able to bring a group of 30 students from the all-girls Esperanza Academy in Lawrence to see Bud, Not Buddy at the Wheelock Family Theater in Boston. Funded in part by a generous gift from Eastern Bank, the trip provided an opportunity to see live theater in Boston free of charge. For many of the students it was their first time seeing live theater.
The teachers from Esperanza Academy said after the trip:
“We would not have had this opportunity without [the Kynock Foundation] and its hard work…The experience made a difference to our students and sparked a love of theater!”
The experience included a chance for the group to have a Q&A with the actors of the play.
Actors from “Bud, Not Buddy” speak to students from Esperanza Academy from Lawrence.Students from Esperanza Academy listen and ask questions to the performers of “Bud, Not Buddy” after the show.
The goal of the Kynock Trips is to help introduce more young people to the arts who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to experience live theater and music. The response to the trip from the students was exceptionally positive.
“I loved the sets and the performance. I don’t have a favorite because I love all of them!”
“We appreciate you planning our fun trip! We appreciate that the actors took the time to do the play and for the Q&A!”
“Thank you for planning and organizing our trip. I’m so happy and it was an amazing trip!”
The Kevin C. Kynock Foundation for the Arts thanks Eastern Bank for its generous support of this program.
