YA offers $10,000 Arts Education Grants for Local Schools

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:            

Date: September 13, 2016

 PRESS CONTACT:

Denyce Mylson

Young Audiences New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania

609-243-9000 x202

[email protected]

$10,000 Arts Education Grants for Local Schools

Offered by Young Audiences New Jersey & Eastern PA

 

Schools throughout New Jersey are eligible;
October 13th deadline for schools to apply

 

PRINCETON, N.J., September 9, 2016—At a time when schools throughout the region are reeling from budget cuts, Young Audiences New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania (YANJEP) continues to provide some relief by offering Arts Education Scholarships for up to $10,000 to fund arts education programming in schools in New Jersey. YANJEP has provided transformative arts experiences to thousands of children in challenged schools throughout New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania for over 40 years.

YA’s Arts Educations Scholarships are designed to bring extraordinary and inspiring performances and hands-on workshops delivered by YA’s team of professional teaching artists. Each customized program is developed to maximize students’ experiences with quality arts programs, provide opportunities to understand the cultural importance of the arts and creativity, and connect to classroom curriculum and their lives. Winning schools will also create a community celebration as a culminating event with support from YANJEP.

Grant recipients will work with Young Audiences’ staff, and their roster of professional teaching artists, to plan quality arts programming tailored specifically for their schools’ arts education needs. Each recipient will receive funding for a variety of initiatives, including:

  • professional arts performance for the entire school population
  • in-depth, hands-on arts residency for students with professional artists
  • assistance in creating a community event that shares student work and celebrates a school’s commitment to arts education as an essential part of learning.

fitler-academics-target-grant

All public, private and charter preschools, elementary, middle and high schools throughout New Jersey are eligible for the grants.

“The grants come at a critical time, when schools throughout the area have cut back arts programs”, noted Michele Russo, President of Young Audiences New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania. “Many schools are committed to the value of arts education, but simply can’t afford it in this economy,” Russo said. “Our goal at YANJEP it to ensure that ALL children have the opportunity to receive quality arts experiences with professional working artists to develop their creative, innovative skills needed to succeed in learning and life.”

Ms. Davis, a teacher from US Wiggins College Preparatory Lab Family School and winner of the scholarship last year shared, “Thank you for bringing these arts programs to our school. This has been such a wonderful and amazing experience for our young scholars. I am so glad to have formed a partnership with Young Audiences!”

The YA Arts Education Scholarships will be awarded on a competitive basis, with priority given to a schools commitment to bringing quality arts programs to it’s students, teachers and community as well as a demonstrated financial need. The deadline for applications is October 13, 2016 at 3:00 pm. Winning schools will be notified via email or phone by October 27, 2016.

For more information and for grant applications, schools can visit https://www.yanjep.org, or contact Liz Winter-Kuwornu at Young Audiences New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania, at 866-500-9265 or [email protected].

Photo Caption: Students from Fitler Academics Plus School in Philadelphia, PA getting out from behind their desks in a Hip-Hop Fundamentals residency lead by YA teaching artists Mark Wong and Steve Lunger.

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About Young Audiences New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania

Founded in 1973, Young Audiences New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania is the premier arts-in-education resource in the region, providing high-quality performances and artist-in-residence programs to schools in all 21 counties of New Jersey and the 7 easternmost counties of Pennsylvania. Young Audiences’ extensive professional artist roster represents all art forms—from dance and theater to music, language and visual arts. Since its founding, the organization has reached over 12 million children with essential arts education experiences.

A not-for-profit organization, Young Audiences’ programs are accessible to all socio-economic, ethnic, cultural, and geographic communities, and are designed to strengthen the arts in schools, meet local and state curriculum standards, involve families in arts activities, and enrich cultural life in New Jersey and Pennsylvania communities.

Young Audiences New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania is the first arts education organization designated as a major service organization by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and, as part of the national network of Young Audiences, Inc., was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Clinton. Young Audiences programs are made possible in part through a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State and Pennsylvania Council of the Arts. Additional funding comes from foundations, corporations and generous individuals. To learn more, visit www.yanjep.org. To be “social” with us, join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @YANJEPA and on Instagram @young_audiences_njepa.