A Message from Carolyn Allen, Chair, Celebrate! Maya Project Capital Campaign

Celebrate! Maya Project is raising funds for Arkansas’ own Dr. Maya Angelou House & Museum, and Education Center!

Our goal is to raise $600,000 by Fall 2025, to renovate a 99-year-old home in the Little Rock Central High School district, in honor of Maya Angelou’s legacy. We will also provide a creative educational programming and community outreach.

We’re doing it all in the spirit of Maya Angelou, and your support can make this possible.

The Celebrate! Maya Project has been Planting Seeds and Growing Dreams in Arkansas since 2014. We’ve held history immersion projects, where high school students interview Arkansas history makers, pen essays on their life and see their work in a published book. We’ve presented community conversations on the documentary “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise,” and even welcomed the film’s director, Rita Coburn Whack, to Little Rock. We’ve showcased and heard from community leaders who assist our students with writing, creating poetry and essays, and presenting their work to audiences. We’ve held poetry contests, art competitions, career-planning workshops and concerts that have enriched our community and enabled our students to develop college-ready skills.

We selected the home in the historic Central High neighborhood because we want it to be a place where all citizens within the community can come together for learning and fellowship. The renovated space we will offer:

  • 3 classrooms for after-school tutoring and mentoring, writing workshops, art classes and camp sessions
  • A community room and learning center for intergenerational forums and presentations
  • An art and history gallery/museum in honor of Maya Angelou
  • Administrative offices for administrators, staff, volunteers, and board meetings
  • A community garden and memory park to educate on migration and sustainability
  • A Legacy Board, in recognition of founding donors

Please explore our site to learn more and visit this page to pledge your support to the Planting Seeds and Growing Dreams campaign. Your contribution will support generations to come.

–Carolyn Allen, chair, Celebrate! Maya Project Capital Campaign