Kamelia Hristeva, Founder and CEO of the Green Star Movement, said Amazon’s $50,000 donation will support their Youth Panel program, allowing teens to lead a citywide mural initiative to empower Chicago neighborhoods through public art.
"We are thrilled to partner with Amazon and are grateful for their continued support in amplifying youth voices and bringing vibrant new murals to life," said Hristev. "Their generous $50,000 donation for 2025 will allow us to continue inspiring students and the community through public art via our Youth Panel program, which provides teens a paid opportunity to build out and lead an annual citywide mural initiative to award a public art mosaic project to a community in need. Since 2021, GSM and the Youth Panel have reviewed and interviewed hundreds of applicants based on merit, strength of proposal and community needs and awarded three programs to communities in Austin, North Lawndale and Chicago Lawn. The mural ribbon-cutting is a celebration of creativity, teamwork, and connection, which are core values we hope to instill in every participant."
On September 7, Amazon in Chicago funded a mural for the Green Star Movement. The organization hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the mural unveiling as well as providing gifts to students. This was Amazon’s third time supporting a mural for Green Star. According to Hristeva, Amazon surprised the organization with $50,000 for 2025 at the ribbon cutting.
Green Star Movement (GSM) was founded in 2005 by Kamelia Hristeva after her experience as an after-school arts instructor revealed the need for creativity and inspiration in underserved communities. Hristeva noticed that many school buildings and neighborhoods were uninspiring, and students were eager for opportunities to express themselves. Green Star Movement was created to bring transformative public art, specifically intricate bricolage murals, to these areas, engaging students and communities in the process of beautifying their environments.
According to their website, the Green Star Movement inspires students and community members through the creation of public art. This interactive process builds teamwork and self-esteem in participants and revitalizes urban neighborhoods.