$5,000 Arts Education Grants for Local Schools Offered by Young Audiences

$5,000 Arts Education Grants for Local Schools Offered by Young Audiences

Schools throughout New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania are eligible;
October 5th deadline for schools to apply

PRINCETON, N.J., September 10, 2018—At a time when schools throughout the region are reeling from budget cuts, Young Audiences New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania (YA) continues to provide some relief by offering Arts Education Scholarships for up to $5,000 to fund assembly programming in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania schools. YA has provided transformative arts experiences to thousands of children in challenged schools throughout New Jersey andEastern Pennsylvania for over 45 years.

Young Audiences’ Arts Education Scholarships are designed to bring extraordinary and inspiring performances delivered by YA’s team of professional teaching artists. Each program is developed to maximize students’ experiences with quality arts programs, and to provide opportunities to understand the cultural importance of the arts and creativity.

YA assembly performances are a vital component of arts education. They introduce the arts and provide new and diverse cultural experiences to the audience and educators. While our stage is a school auditorium, the work is no less important or impactful than an event at a performing arts venue. New research shows that performance has a significant impact on the brain, activating parts associated with feelings of connection to others, sharing emotional experiences with others, and creating a neural rush. Exposure to performances will complement academic studies, themes, and students’ cultural backgrounds. YA strives to ensure that children value live performance as an essential part of a full life, cultivating the next generation of performing arts supporters.

Through the fusion of powerful lyrics and high-energy movements, Young Audiences’ assembly artist group, The Villalobos Brothers, use their violins and voices to redefine contemporary Mexican music in Fusión Mexicana, their engaging school assembly performance.

Grant recipients will work with Young Audiences’ staff to plan their schools’ arts assembly programs based on the school’s specific needs.

Each recipient will receive Young Audiences assembly programs valued at up to $5,000 including guidance and support from Young Audiences staff to assess the grantees school and student needs and develop a customized plan for YA’s arts programs. Based on the plan, YA will schedule professional artists to come to the school and provide appropriate assembly programs for the entire school population.

All public, private and charter preschools, elementary schools, middle and high schools serving grades PK-12 throughout New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Berks and Lehigh Counties) 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,” Russo said. “Our goal at YA is 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 past winner of the scholarship 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 deadline for applications is October 5th, 2018 at 3:00 pm. Winning schools will be notified via email or phone by October 19,2018.

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

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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 13 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.