About the Nuka Project
Since Spring 2025, Yeukai Projects has partnered with K–12 students across New England to create learning environments where ESOL students use art as a powerful tool for self-expression while strengthening academic vocabulary. Program impact is measured through pre- and post-program student surveys and structured classroom observations. In Spring 2026, participating students demonstrated more than a sevenfold increase in their ability to use art as a strategy for learning vocabulary and an 89% increase in their ability to express themselves through art while applying newly acquired vocabulary in meaningful, authentic contexts.
The Nuka Project is led by a full-time researcher whose work focuses on bilingual and multicultural education. Their research examines instructional practices that connect English language acquisition with content literacy. Through grant funding, Yeukai Projects recruits and trains qualified instructors to implement the curriculum in partnering schools and community organizations.
Through structured art sessions, the program promotes language growth, builds confidence, and strengthens peer collaboration. The initiative culminates in a community celebration showcasing student artwork, reinforcing school–family partnerships and highlighting student achievement while advancing sustainable, research-informed practices for English Learners.
The project is differentiated to meet students’ English language proficiency levels and grade-level needs. To date, the Nuka Project has partnered with elementary, middle, and high school students, ensuring that activities and instruction are developmentally appropriate and responsive to learners across a wide range of ages and language abilities.
Yeukai Projects 