Yodit Weldu is the high school transition advisor at KIPP Academy Chicago and a current KIPP Chicago McNair Fellow. The McNair Fellowship is a signature program of KIPP Chicago that elevates leaders to thrive in their roles and amplify the impact of their leadership. A core component of the McNair Fellowship is designing and executing an Impact project aligned with each fellow’s passions and growing skillsets.
Yodit had the honor and privilege to lead the KIPP Chicago collaboration with the KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools region to create and develop their own Children’s Museum of Art and Social Justice (CMASJ). The purpose of the CMASJ is to create a space where students can be heard and infuse a social justice curriculum into the arts. The Atlanta museum will offer a space to showcase and celebrate their artistic explorations of social justice themes, inspiring action toward social change.
Monday, December 12, 2022, the KIPP Atlanta Children’s Museum of Art and Social Justice showcased the first installation: Afrofuturism. This exhibit showcased art by their students, where they self-defined imagination, pushed boundaries, and created new worlds in outer space. Thank you, Deshawn Gaston, for hosting the hands-on experience painting session for families during the event. Thank you, Leslie Locks, for spearheading this exhibit in Atlanta by creating a space for our students to showcase their work to the public. Thank you, Mini’imah Shaheed, April Montgomery Goble, Peter Gooden, Joslyn Villalpando, and the KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools for making this vision a reality.
Yodit is excited to continue to grow and expand this partnership throughout the year. We are excited to see the next art exhibition collaboration Spring of 2023!
Windy Indie pulls strings on hearts everywhere she goes. Her infectious positive energy, undeniable work ethic, and incredible violin playing are just some of the characteristics that make her a distinctly unique star. Born and raised on the West Side of Chicago, authenticity is central to Windy’s budding success. Her passion for violin playing is deeply connected to her desire to be relatable and a source of inspiration and pride to her community. When she steps on stage, she wants people to know that she’s not an anomaly and that many people can see themselves in her story if they look closely enough.
This story started where all of our stories begin, at home. Windy’s mom played the violin in church as a young girl, which inspired her to leap at the opportunity to learn to play as a student at KIPP Ascend Middle School. Not only did KIPP expose Windy to violin lessons early on as a student, but she also credits KIPP for helping her define how she would operate her business. The emphasis on being organized and honoring the benefits of a strong daily routine stuck with her and continues to help guide her today as she self-manages the ins and outs of her entire operation flawlessly.
Windy is an independent artist that is quickly making a name for herself. She has been invited to play for Chicago’s Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Lupe Fiasco’s band, Juice WLRD Day, at the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, and has appeared on the hit show Empire three times, amongst many other opportunities.
Windy desires to use her talent as a performing artist to build community and help facilitate critical conversations. She’s passionate that as her work evolves, so does her purpose. She’s unwavering about breaking stereotypes and disrupting outdated beliefs about how things should be done and what is possible for others. Classically trained with a proclivity toward jazz and hip-hop, Windy won’t be boxed in.
Honing her skills for ten years before stepping out on faith to become a professional violinist, she sees herself as her greatest competition. As she grows, her dreams do too. She’s working on developing expertise in audio editing, hair, and make-up. She has aspirations to release her own music, host her own concerts, teach workshops to other budding artists, and take her music on the road for an international tour.
Windy is climbing to the tune of her own violin, and the sky is truly the limit. You can support her by following her on Instagram @windyindiemusic, reposting her performance videos on your social channels, and booking her at windyindie.com.
