Staten Island · New York City · Nigeria
Let the work speak.
Canvas Institute creates spaces where young people are seen, supported, challenged, and equipped to lead — through arts, culture, civic engagement, wellness, and youth leadership programs built for young people, schools, and communities.
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- Youth & residents served
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- NYC public schools engaged
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- Years of the Youth Empowerment Summit
Trusted by schools, community partners, funders & public institutions
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One connected model
Not separate programs. One purpose, six disciplines.
Canvas brings arts, culture, civic engagement, leadership, wellness, and systems thinking together — because young people don't grow in silos, and neither do communities.
Arts
Murals, exhibits, performances, and creative workshops give young people a voice and shared spaces new life.
Culture
Identity, storytelling, and cultural connection — from Staten Island to the diaspora.
Civic Engagement
Participatory budgeting, public speaking, and youth-led action turn opinions into participation.
Leadership
Peer mentorship and leadership identity, practiced in real rooms with real stakes.
Wellness
Check-ins, reflection, and Compassionate Systems tools build emotional awareness that lasts.
Community Impact
Schools, agencies, funders, and neighbors working from the same table.
Who we are
A Staten Island institution, built from the block up.
Canvas Institute of Arts, Culture & Civic Engagement is a Staten Island-based nonprofit that provides a platform for the next generation of creatives, civic leaders, community leaders, and changemakers to collaborate, solve local challenges, and build healthier, more connected communities.
The work happens in classrooms, theaters, galleries, parks, blocks, school gyms, and community rooms — youth-centered, partnership-driven, and rooted in real relationships.
Programs
Where the work happens.
Programs designed to meet young people and communities where they are — in schools, community sites, events, and creative spaces.
In schools citywide
Compassionate Systems in Schools
Check-ins, the Systems Iceberg, the Four Ways We Show Up, journaling, conflict resolution, and leadership development — interactive, student-centered sessions that change how school communities communicate.
Youth Empowerment Summit
For 20 years, a room built for young people — students, educators, artists, leaders, and partners together in one space.
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Civic Engagement & Community Leadership
From having opinions to understanding systems and shaping decisions.
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Arts, Culture & Exhibits
Art as a tool for healing, identity, storytelling, education, and community connection.
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Wellness & Mental Health Awareness
Language for what they feel. Tools for how they respond. Confidence in how they lead.
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The flagship
For 20 years, a room built for young people.
The Youth Empowerment Summit brings students, educators, artists, civic leaders, performers, and resource providers together for workshops, performances, and real conversations about the future. The 20th Annual Summit filled the historic St. George Theatre with more than 1,400 attendees.
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Attendees in 2026
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Summits in Nigeria
Port Richmond High School
Featured impact story
From check-ins to a check from the community.
The final session of the year closed out a Compassionate Systems series recognized with graduation sashes from the principal.
Students received a $500 check from Island Voice for their participation in the NYC Civic Engagement Commission's People's Money training, then practiced gratitude and goal-setting journaling for the year ahead.
Press & recognition
The story keeps getting covered.
Founder & Executive Director
“Let the work speak. Everything else is noise.”
Bobby's leadership connects grassroots experience with Compassionate Systems practice, youth mental health awareness, and a commitment to building spaces where young people can lead. As the creator of the Youth Empowerment Summit, he has brought students, schools, artists, employers, and public leaders together for twenty years — in New York and, through Canvas Institute Nigeria, internationally.
Bobby Digi OlisaFounder and Executive Director
Bring Canvas to your school, agency, event, or community space.
Workshops, Compassionate Systems training, youth leadership programs, wellness sessions, speaking, facilitation, creative programs, and space rental.