STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The Canvas Institute of Arts, Culture & Civic Engagement hosted its fourth Annual Youth Empowerment Gala on Wednesday night.

The event unfolded at LiGreci’s Staaten in West Brighton and drew community members, educators and local elected officials for an evening honoring service, partnership and nearly 20 years of youth-focused initiatives on Staten Island.

The gala, known as #AYE25, highlighted the continued legacy of the Institute’s Annual Youth Empowerment Summit and marked the organization’s ninth anniversary of providing arts, culture and civic engagement programs for young people and their families.

This year’s honorees included Hon. Edwina F. Martin, Esq., an attorney and community organizer; Frank “Turtle” Raffaele of Coffeed; Nicholas Mele, principal of Ed

See Full Page