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Curious Kids Explores Creativity

Hosted by Southwest Florida kids, for kids, WGCU’s critically acclaimed Curious Kids TV show explores creativity in its newest episode Curiously Creative. In the newest episode, kids learn that creativity comes in many forms. From an improvisational acting game to the creative ideas that inspire a Busy Bee dance, Curiously Creative inspires young viewers to think, act and move creatively. The 30-minute show features a local author, Reno Williams, who has written and published his own book.  The episode also features the creative photography of naturalist Don Parsons, who presents the world of insects in a diversely creative and colorful way. The Curious Kids hosts also visit Naples’ House of Gaia where they explore dance moves using exotic fabrics, don masks to play tribal percussion instruments and paint a community canvas for the children of Haiti.  The featured country for this episode of Curious Kids is Haiti.  Curious Kids is a production of WGCU Public Media and is written and produced by Curious Kids Ambassador and International Children’s Entertainer, Rosie Emery.

Watch Curious Kids episodes on the WGCU Curious Kids YouTube channel.

Florida Weekly • Helping in Haiti.  Teddy bears deliver immediate comfort; long-term help planned.Known as “Lulu” to her students, Ms. Carter runs Outside The Box Studio, a holistic, eclectic arts school for children and adults. Born in Brazil, she helped poor children in slums there before moving to the United States, where she has been an educator for more than two decades. Through her second business, a travel company called Destination Partners, she plans to help set up the trips back to Haiti for high school and college students in the coming months and years. READ MORE

Naples Envoy takes $10,000 to Haiti to buy Rice and Beans in Port-au-Prince Tent City

Naples Daily News • June 1, 2011 by Marjorie Ziff-Levine.  House of Gaia, Naples’ newest non-profit organization, launched into action with a humble yet festive fundraiser for the forgotten children of Haiti. On May 21st “Rice and Beans for Haiti” was held at the Salvation Army in Naples, FL. This community event was a symbolic and modest dinner to raise funds to buy Rice and Beans for a Tent City in Haiti. READ MORE

Bee Gaia: Connect and Cross-Pollinate Peace ~ SWFL/July 2012  Lulu Carter had a very big vision when she created Bee Gaia, a nonprofit organization with the House of Gaia as its community and learning center. Committed to fostering a global perspective that promotes a more peaceful, creative and conscientious world, Carter has gathered together a group of equally committed, trained professionals to help with the center’s mission to educate and connect people of all races, cultures, religions, ages and physical abilities in order to build community through programs of art, culture, well-being, travel and community service. Carter, who has dedicated her life to making a difference, is more than happy to offer anyone else that is interested an opportunity to join her. READ MORE

A House to Feel At Home  News-Press.com ~ 8:14 PM, Apr. 12, 2012  House of Gaia in Naples is a community center combining values of inclusiveness, well-being, art, joy and peace.  Maria Luisa “Lulu” Carter buzzed about barefoot, hugging people, playing with children, solving small problems and exclaiming “mi amor” to people she loves at her community center in Naples.      Today was an open house, so visitors streamed through her House of Gaia, a whimsical 3,500-square-foot facility with rooms that seem to smile, the main one with wood floors. Walls are painted a pleasing purple, leafy green, buttery yellow and soothing white.      Gaia means “mother” in Greek.  READ MORE

Afro-Brazilian Sport Keeps Feet Flying, Hands Tapping  Fort Myers News Press • February 2, 2012 by Amy Sowder. When Africans were forced to Brazil for slavery in the 16th century, they created a dance with music to disguise their fighting practice under the watchful eyes of Portuguese and Dutch colonialists. It was called capoeira. The Afro-Brazilian art form was used as a tool of hope in a hostile land in their fight for liberation. They were outnumbered and unequipped, but learned to move in ways that confounded their captors, using a fluid, acrobatic dance with low cartwheels, leg sweeps, knee and elbow swipes, handstands and takedowns. READ MORE

Naples Envoy takes $10,000 to Haiti to buy Rice and Beans in Port-au-Prince Tent City  Naples Daily News • June 1, 2011 by Marjorie Ziff-Levine.  House of Gaia, Naples’ newest non-profit organization, launched into action with a humble yet festive fundraiser for the forgotten children of Haiti. On May 21st “Rice and Beans for Haiti” was held at the Salvation Army in Naples, FL. This community event was a symbolic and modest dinner to raise funds to buy Rice and Beans for a Tent City in Haiti. READ MORE

Naples Daily News • April 9, 2011 Freedom Waters Foundation & Outside The Box- StudioPhoto by GORDON CAMPBELL Lulu Carter (R) takes a quick break from volunteering with the kids to pose with Debra Frankel and share a smile. Photo by Gordon Campbell/Special to the Daily News.  READ MORE

 Eat rice and beans to help buy the same for Haiti earthquake victims  NAPLES DAILY NEWS ARTICLE: Luisa Carter, a Naples resident and multicultural community leader, is the owner and founder of House of Gaia. She has made three trips to this orphanage in Haiti since the devastating earthquake in January 2010. READ MORE

Florida Weekly • Helping in Haiti.  Teddy bears deliver immediate comfort; long-term help planned.Known as “Lulu” to her students, Ms. Carter runs Outside The Box Studio, a holistic, eclectic arts school for children and adults. Born in Brazil, she helped poor children in slums there before moving to the United States, where she has been an educator for more than two decades. Through her second business, a travel company called Destination Partners, she plans to help set up the trips back to Haiti for high school and college students in the coming months and years. READ MORE

Naples Daily News. Our World:Dancing into sunshine By LEXEY SWALL Posted March 28, 2010 at 2:06 p.m. “I want to encourage them and empower them to follow their dreams and to be joyful in their life,” Carter said. READ MORE

UGottoGoGreen.com  Come play, create, express yourselfand be part of the “Earth Kids” with Outside the Box Studio on Sunday October 10th, 2010 as part of the 10/10/10 “U Gotta Go Green” Eco-Extravaganza at Mercato in North Naples! The eco-programming will run from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and then you are invited to stay for the Community Drum Circle which will be followed by a “Green Rewards”

Naples.com  A special Halloween Dayis planned for kids at Mercato by Outside the Box- Studio and Mercato Merchants on Sunday, October 31. The fun starts at 1pm under a decorated art tent with face painting, mask creation, and two puppet shows. READ MORE

Natural Awakenings – May 2009  Adults, teens and children enjoy a plethora of opportunities to be creativein the colorful and playful space of Outside-the-Box Studio in Naples. “Our holistic teaching methods and multi-cultural hands-on programs in art and education intentionally address the right and left hemispheres of the brain. This helps to optimize everyone’s learning style regardless of their age or skill levels,” says LuLu Carter, founder of the multimedia art studio. “To ensure comprehensive and enriching programs, the staff also incorporates all aspects of language, science and math, movement, music, art and drama. READ MORE

Naples Daily News, August 12, 2009.  Outside the Box Studio summer campers display the castle they built of cardboard and paint for a theater presentation for their parents. The multimedia art camp featured guest speakers and workshops. Fall programming will begin in two weeks for art classes during the school year. For more information, call 272-6152. READ MORE

Climate Awareness Event in Naples gives the 411 on Importance of 350 • Naples Daily News October 24, 2009  Naples: Leading the Way to Sustainabilityorganizers hope that more attendees learned how they can make an impact and are encouraging community members to make small changes throughout this week to make a difference on the city’s carbon emissions. READ MORE

Advancing Non-Profits • Thursday, April 9, 2009  This week I wanted to highlight a great organization located in Naples, Florida that is offering opportunities to partner with the community and non-profit organizations on unique programming for children. This organization is Outside the Box Studio. Outside the Box provides unique classes using art, drama, music, language, culture, & movement to educate, entertain, and heal. The holistic style of educating comes from a diverse group of teachers lead by the Founder and Director Maria Luisa Carter. Maria Luisa or Lulu as she is known has twenty years of experience as an artist, business woman, educator, and therapist. She has used these skills during her travels throughout the world in both private and public organizations with children, families and educators from a variety of backgrounds. READ MORE

Naples Daily News/Polaroids by Judy Lutz  Lulu Carter, educator, teaches children and adults diversity through fabrics, dance and a wide variety of methods at her studio in Naples called “Outside the Box.” Carter began her educational experience in Brazil where she taught art education to all ages. LuLu Carter, educator , works with a variety of fabrics from all over the world teaching children the value of movement through wind and cloth.  READ MORE

Children at Outside the Box-Studio in North Naples are free to express themselves
By TRACY X. MIGUEL(Contact) 3:55 p.m., Wednesday, May 14, 2008.  Roberts put her own ingenuity to work by creating a documentary. Also, she is collaborating with her friend and fellow environmentalist, Ann Smith, in offering a “Being Green” class this month at theHappahatchee Center in Estero and at studio in Naples. October 8,2008. READ MORE

Your News: Outside the Box Studio offers parent open house for art education project
Submitted by Silvia Casabianca • 11:54 p.m., Monday, January 14, 2008  READ MORE