James Vidakovich, Colorado State ’66, has built a career in television and media, so when he heard about BRAINY (Bringing Arts Integration to Youth) at his alma mater, the 11-year Veteran of Sesame Street knew he wanted to participate.
Jim Vidakovich, Colorado State ‘66
“When I heard the professors from the College of Liberal Arts talking about some of the great programs for young kids in the college, including the BRAINY program, it reminded me of my 11 years working on Sesame Street,” said Vidakovich in the Colorado State press release. “One of the goals of Sesame Street was to get into the homes of kids who didn’t have the same things as some others, to really connect with undeserved communities to help them learn. That’s what BRAINY does.”
Brainy was founded in 2011 by an Associate Professor in the Department of Art and Art History, Patrick Fahey, and the first Director of CSU’s Gregory Allicar Museum of Art, Linny Frickman. Their goal was to give kids from Title I schools – schools where 75% of the students come from low-income homes – the opportunity to experience the power of art by visiting CSU. Title I schools don’t get to take a lot of field trips, so Fahey and Frickman developed this program to help them see how achievable higher education could be.
They prioritized making the experience hands-on, so students play instruments, dance, create art, and even act. This program has been a huge success – hundreds of fourth graders now travel to CSU throughout the year. In the morning they experience music, break for lunch, then immerse themselves in art and theater for the afternoon. Students at CSU get to help as well, which is particularly good for those entering the education field.
Al Howard, Colorado State ‘66
As Vidakovich learned more about the program, he became more committed to help. He pledged to providing financial support then began recruiting members of CSU’s Alpha Sigma chapter to join him. He began by reaching out to chapter brother Al Howard, Colorado State ’66.
“After retiring I needed to find a new relevance, and there were many things about BRAINY that just clicked with me,” Howard said. “I wanted to find something meaningful to me that would be helpful to others, and I really felt like supporting BRAINY was very doable and would make a difference in these kids’ lives.”
The pair reached out to other chapter brothers, and soon enough they had 20 pledge their contribution. Together, they have nearly doubled the program’s budget.
“Honestly, it’s the sort of thing we dream about in higher education, to have somebody support a program themselves and then bring together their community to join us. Their support has been remarkable,” said Lynn Boland, the current Director of the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art.
Go Far, Alpha Sigma!
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