Cynthia Renta
About Cynthia Renta
Cynthia Renta – Executive Director
Cynthia Renta serves as the Executive Director of the Educational Arts Team, where she successfully increased the operational budget by 40% in her first year. She has shown a commitment to supporting underrepresented communities by expanding summer camp scholarship opportunities for BIPOC children and children with disabilities by 75%. Renta’s leadership emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion, utilizing restorative practices and social-emotional restorative circle-keeping.
Cynthia Renta’s Education and Training
Cynthia Renta holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the City University of New York and a Bachelor of Arts in Growth and Structure of Cities from Bryn Mawr College. Her training includes a deep focus on healing justice and BIPOC womanist praxis. Renta was recognized with the National Urban Fellowship Award for Urban Leaders in 2006 and the Diáspora Leaders Award from Paso Negro and the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña in 2012.
Founding of Still Standing Theater Group
Cynthia Renta founded the theater group 'Still Standing,' an initiative that centers on the stories of mothers whose children were killed by gun violence. This group aims to give voice to these powerful narratives, demonstrating Renta’s commitment to addressing critical social issues and supporting communities in healing and empowerment.
Cultural and Artistic Initiatives
Cynthia Renta led the cultural arts classroom curriculum design and facilitation for various educational and cultural heritage events, including Indigenous People’s Day, Latine Heritage, Black History, and Pride months. She spearheaded various Afro-Indigenous Latine Caribbean folk arts projects from NYC to the San Francisco Bay Area, including Bomberas de la Bahía and Project Cimarrona. These initiatives reflect her dedication to preserving and promoting cultural heritage and storytelling.
Leadership in BIPOC Community Projects
Cynthia Renta was the founding artistic and community projects director for the Untold Stories Project, a site-specific storytelling project that amplifies the stories of the BIPOC community post-pandemic. Her leadership roles have included positions at the YMCA, Untold Stories, and the Center for Supportive Schools, where she championed early initiatives for diversity, equity, and inclusion in education and workplaces.