As part of our commitment to inspire all people in our community to explore and create, UpCycle enriches aftercare programs in the City of Alexandria through free, grant-funded outreach programs. One such program, "It's Tinker Time, Creative Aftercare Programs and Materials for Alexandria's Youth," is funded by the Alexandria Fund for Human Services to ensure that children and youth are socially connected, emotionally secure, and culturally competent. The program:

• Provides Tinker Carts and free materials to 10 recreation center sites across our city.
• Engages more than 900 diverse students annually in creative reuse programming to solve problems, gain new skills, collaborate and express positive feelings about participating in creative reuse activities..
• Encourages aftercare teachers to continue creative reuse programming outside of direct program hours.
• Culminates with a community project that demonstrates that unwanted materials are a resource for inspiration and creativity.

This year, students reused materials to create the letters A-L-E-X-A-N-D-R-I-A that are now displayed in our materials center. The collaborative project highlights to everyone that in Alexandria, materials that are destined for the waste stream can be reused to make something unique and eye-catching. Next time you're at UpCycle, check it out!

Sherri has been teaching camps and birthday parties with UpCycle Creative Reuse Center since 2022. She has 15 years experience as a preschool teacher and process art preschool teacher. Sherri also has a BA in Interior Design and an MA in Computer Graphics. She is married with two adult children (ages 21 and 18).

Tell us a little about yourself.
I grew up in an Airforce family. I was born in Turkey, lived in Massachusetts, New Mexico, Greece, Germany, England, Maryland, Florida, and Louisiana before getting married and moving to Virginia. I love being outdoors and photographing or picking up amazing objects I find in nature. I also enjoy reading novels, especially historical fiction and mysteries, and traveling to see new places.

What do you love most about teaching at UpCycle? 
Working with many young artists from a variety of backgrounds.

What are you most excited about for this year’s summer camp at UpCycle? 
I’m looking forward to creating with young artists for 5 days in a row and having the abundant time to spend on art making with them.

Share a fun UpCycle memory. 
We wrapped yarn dipped in glue around balloons and let it dry overnight. The next day everyone was so excited to pop the balloons and see our balloon shaped sculptures. Instead of holding its shape, the yarn slowly collapsed inward, which wasn't what we expected but was interesting all the same.

What’s your favorite reusable material? Why? 
Cardboard - it can be used for so many things! It’s a surface to paint on, can become a sculpture, you cut into pieces for printmaking or cut and hang for mobiles…and so much more.

If you could have only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? 
Artichoke

What’s your (current) favorite book?
When you Wonder, You're Learning: Mister Rogers' Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids by Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski
​
What’s your superpower? 
Visual-spatial understanding - I'm really good and fast at solving puzzles and always draw out what I am thinking.

As you know, at UpCycle, we rethink the notion of waste, collecting cast-offs from our community to serve as creative art materials. Our inventory of materials is affordable, dynamic and changes constantly, providing ever-changing inspiration and outlets for creativity. But the Coronavirus outbreak has put UpCycle's finances at risk.

During Spring2ACTion this year, UpCycle needs to raise at least $7500 to cover the cost of lost programming.  Achieving this goal will mean that we can keep offering you what you value most – bringing together creativity and conservation for everyone in the community. 

What can you do to help?  Give anytime until Wednesday April 15!  Every dollar will make a difference.  Here’s the link to give: https://www.spring2action.org/organizations/upcycle-creative-reuse-center.

As you can see below, we do a lot with just a little budget.  We love bringing creativity and conservation together, and we've had some great successes over the past year.

Thanks so much for your support – I’m looking forward to the time when we can meet again at UpCycle!

Become a Member of UpCycle Creative Reuse Center’s Board of Directors.   We're looking for a few energetic, involved and positive folks to help us guide the organization's growth.  Please contact the Director, Lexi Keogh, at info@upcyclecrc.org if you are interested!

A full description of what's involved follows:

Mission
UpCycle Creative Reuse Center is an Alexandria, Virginia based non-profit that connects creativity and conservation by providing a resource center for reuse materials and a creative making space for the community. At UpCycle, we rethink the traditional notion of waste by collecting cast-offs from our community to serve as creative materials.

UpCycle is currently recruiting members for our Board of Directors and is looking for people who are interested in the connection between conservation and creativity and has expertise in an area that will help UpCycle succeed.  The Board of Directors meets monthly.

For more information, please UpCycle’s website at www.UpCycleCRC.org.

Position
The Board will support the work of UpCycle Creative Reuse Center and provide mission-based leadership and strategic governance. While day-to-day operations are led by UpCycle’s executive director (ED), the Board-ED relationship is a partnership, and the appropriate involvement of the Board is both critical and expected.

Specific Board Member responsibilities include:
Leadership, governance and oversight

• Serving as a trusted advisor to the Executive Director as s/he develops and implements UpCycle’s strategic plan 
• Reviewing outcomes and metrics created by UpCycle’s board and staff for evaluating its impact, and regularly measuring its performance and effectiveness using those metrics; reviewing agenda and supporting materials prior to board and committee meetings 
• Approving UpCycle’s annual budget, audit reports, and material business decisions; being informed of, and meeting all, legal and fiduciary responsibilities 
• Contributing to an annual performance evaluation of the ED 
• Assisting the ED and board chair in identifying and recruiting other Board Members 
• Partnering with the ED and other board members to ensure that board resolutions are carried out 
• Serving on committees or task forces and taking on special assignments 
• Representing UpCycle to stakeholders; acting as an ambassador for the organization 
• Ensuring UpCycle’s commitment to a diverse board and staff that reflects the communities UpCycle serves

Fundraising
UpCycle Board Members will consider UpCycle a philanthropic priority and make annual gifts that reflect that priority. So that UpCycle can credibly solicit contributions from foundations, organizations, and individuals, UpCycle expects to have all of Board Members make an annual contribution that is commensurate with their capacity.

Board terms/participation
UpCycle’s Board Members will serve a one-year term. Board meetings are held monthly and committee meetings will be held in coordination with full board meetings.

Qualifications
This is an extraordinary opportunity for an individual who is passionate about UpCycle’s mission and who has a track record of board leadership. Selected Board Members will have achieved leadership stature in business, government, philanthropy, or the nonprofit sector. His/her accomplishments will allow him/her to attract other well-qualified, high-performing Board Members.

Ideal candidates will have a combination of the following qualifications:

• Extensive professional experience with significant executive leadership accomplishments in business, government, philanthropy, or the nonprofit sector 
• A commitment to and understanding of UpCycle’s beneficiaries, preferably based on experience 
• Savvy diplomatic skills and a natural affinity for cultivating relationships and persuading, convening, facilitating, and building consensus among diverse individuals 
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and a passion for improving the lives of UpCycle’s beneficiaries

Service on UpCycle’s Board of Directors is without remuneration, except for administrative support and minimal costs that relate to Board Members’ duties.
 

UpCycle Creative Reuse Center announces a new director, Lexi Keogh.

Keogh has more than 20 years of non-profit experience in communications, annual, corporate and private foundation fundraising, membership, and special events.

She most recently served as the Development Director at Alice Ferguson Foundation in Accokeeek, Maryland. Prior to leading the environmental education nonprofit’s fundraising efforts, she spent 15 years with the Alaska Wilderness League in Washington, DC. Her roles included Acting Executive Director, Deputy Director, and Development and Communications Directors. She has extensive nonprofit experience with an eye towards implementing organizational sustainability in all aspects of a nonprofit -- from fundraising to organizational development and programs.

UpCycle’s Board Chair, Lesley Harris says, "We welcome Lexi’s extensive and diverse background in nonprofit management, communications and fundraising. We are at a critical time in the mission of UpCycle as we just celebrated our five year anniversary with more than 250 members. Lexi will play an active role in strengthening our partnerships and enhancing our visibility in the community. We are very excited to have her on board.”

Keogh received her Bachelor’s from Georgetown University and Master's in International Relations and Communications from Boston University. She is an avid recycler, crafter and upcycler living in Alexandria with her husband and two children. Keogh finds UpCycle inspiring because it gives people an easy space to explore their creativity without constraints.

Keogh is the first Director since local Alexandrians, Susan Miranda and Kelley Organek founded UpCycle in 2013. Both Miranda and Organek continue to serve on UpCycle’s Board. 

UpCycle is a place where people of all ages have the opportunity to experiment, create and play with a variety of media for artistic use and expression. In 2017, UpCycle provided direct programming for Alexandria residents and engaged the immediate community and beyond in more than 5,000 hours of creative reuse arts programming. Our programs, events and outreach include:
​

Materials Playgroup - Exploratory and sensory activities for children ages 1.5-4 years old. Children explore clay, painting, light and shadow and MANY ways to manipulate and play with materials.

​Tinker Time
Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings, children and their families participate in art experiences for a minimal fee. Participants explore our unique collection of materials, experiment with possible uses and create original works of art.

After School Enrichment Programs
Tinker Time at Casa Chirilagua, the ACPS LINK Club at Brent Place and for Jefferson-Houston School.

​Professional Development
Workshops for educators incorporate reuse arts materials into developmentally appropriate classroom activities that promote cognitive and motor development. Teachers learn how clay, observational drawing, light and shadow, paint mixing, wire work, sewing and sensory experiences can enhance their learning environments.

Partner Events
Collaborating with other organizations connects our community and introduces new audiences to UpCycle’s mission. Events shown with Arts on the Horizon and First Night with the AWLA.