Light/The Holocaust and Humanity Project, a communitywide awareness initiative that promotes the protection of human rights against bigotry and hate through the arts, education and public dialogue, is a three-month project, from Aug. 4 to Nov. 4, that aims to shine a spotlight on the work being done by community groups, schools, museums and other organizations that addresses intolerance in the community. The series of events will culminate with the Arsht Center debut of Ballet Austin, to perform the company’s celebrated full-length contemporary ballet, Light/The Holocaust and Humanity Project.

The Adrienne Arsht Center is leading the way in getting out the important message of tolerance. The program will kick off on Aug. 4 with a performance by the children in the Ailey Camp Miami summer program. The recital is called “Colors," and it celebrates diversity and oneness, said John Richard, the president and CEO of the Arsht Center.

Other programs include:

•  I am My Own Wife, from Oct. 4 through Oct. 24. It is a one-man show, which tells the story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a Berlin transvestite, who survived first the Nazis and then the Communists — as a woman.

• "Sing, Miami! All Together Now" on Oct. 27. At this event, children and families are invited to sing along with the Miami Children’s Chorus in a community concert that will include music from Brundibár, a lively children’s opera that was first performed in Jewish ghettos during World War II, and songs that will inspire social change.

• Family Fest on Nov. 3, a free and family friendly event from the Miami Music Project that celebrates children, youth and the power of music to bring freedom, hope and harmony to the world.

The three-month project will conclude with Ballet Austin’s Light/the Holocaust and Humanity Project.

Tickets go on sale for the three-month program on July 16. For a full calendar of activities and ticket information, visit arshtcenter.org/light.

Award helps kids stay in school

A warm Friends and Neighbors salute to the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens, which recently awarded gave $8,000 to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade. The funds will be used to support real-world experiential programs that will help Miami area teens stay in school and graduate. This is the third consecutive year that Boys and Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade has been awarded the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens grant.

The grant will help fund When Opportunities and Resources Knock (W.O.R.K.), a summer job shadowing/mentoring program in which teens from the clubs will be exposed to professional work experiences from different career paths such as professional sports, the restaurant industry and retail. For more information about the grant, visit www.tacobellfoundationforteens.org.

Book talk

The GFWC (General Federation of Women’s Clubs) Coco Plum Woman’s Club will present Rosann Whitten, who will review the book Elizabeth The Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch, by Sally Bedell Smith at 10:30 a.m. on July 18, at the club house, 1375 Sunset Dr. in Coral Gables.

The cost is $10 per person and includes snacks. The event is open to the public. all proceeds from the book review will benefit Angels Reach Foundation, a non-profit organization that offers intensive therapeutic and educational programs for special needs children facing the challenges associated with autism and spectrum disorder throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties.