Foundation for Roanoke Valley
announced today it has awarded $60,000 in grants as part of its three-year Arts
& Culture Initiative. This
initiative, funded through the Foundation’s Community Catalyst Funds, provides
grants to non-profit organizations or local school districts based on two
objectives: 1) Educate. Inspire. Create. and 2) Arts at Work. The following grants were awarded through
objective Educate. Inspire. Create:
Jefferson Center Foundation was awarded $15,000 to support its
interactive Song project. This project
will focus on expression, literacy, self-esteem, collaboration and cultural
awareness. Artists will lead students in
the processing of songwriting, from brainstorming to writing lyrics, creating
musical accompaniment, performing and recording. Students will complete the project with
performances and the production of a CD that can be sold to support the
schools.
Roanoke Children’s Theatre (RCT) was awarded $5,000 to support
RCT Kaleidoscope camp. The camp will allow Roanoke Children's Theatre to partner with
local school resource/special education teachers to conduct theatre arts
educational programming with and for developmentally disabled K-12 students
onsite at RCT.
Smith Mountain Lake Good Neighbors,
Inc. was awarded
$5,000 to support a free four-week summer day camp and after school programs at
Burnt Chimney Elementary School and Sontag Elementary School in partnership
with the Roanoke Children’s Theatre. RCT
will use theatre to enhance participant reading, writing and communication
skills.
VH1 Save the Music Foundation was awarded $25,000 to restore an instrumental music education program in one
Roanoke City Elementary School and assist with the purchase of new
instruments. The VH1 Save The Music Foundation is dedicated to creating
systemic change in the American public school system by rebuilding instrumental
music programs in public elementary and middle schools and by raising awareness
about the importance of music education.
Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia was awarded $10,000 to support its
ImageMakers program. ImageMakers encourages Club members to learn and
practice black-and-white, color, digital and alternative process photography.
The program exposes youth to cutting-edge technology curriculum and provides
opportunities to showcase their artistic talents. It enables them to express
and develop their creativity with still-images and videos and equips them with
essential digital literacy skills.
“The SML Good Neighbors strategic plan calls for development
of after-school programs for elementary school children from families with
limited resources,” says Russ Baskett, at SML Good Neighbors, Inc. “The Educate.
Inspire. Create. funding is allowing us to implement an out-of school
theatre program in Franklin County—Student Enrichment in the Theatre Arts—in
partnership with the Roanoke Children’s Theatre. We will have activities in our
Summer Enrichment Day Camp program and after-school programs during the school
year in two elementary schools. This program in the arts adds excitement, depth
and texture to the programs for our Good Neighbors children.”
"Our work in Roanoke City Public Schools is an inspiring
story," adds Paul Cothran, Vice President & Executive Director of the
VH1 Save The Music Foundation. “Through a successful partnership with the
Roanoke City Public School District that began in 2009, we are one step closer
to completing our major rebuild in all 17 elementary schools in the District,
ensuring that all Roanoke students have access to the many benefits of
comprehensive instrumental music education.
This is possible because of the generous support of donors like
Foundation for Roanoke Valley; and we eagerly look forward to joining the
District and community in celebrating the success of our efforts in the coming
year.”
Applications for objective Arts at Work will be
available online at www.foundationforroanokevalley.org beginning August 1st.
Foundation for Roanoke Valley is the
community foundation serving this region.
The Foundation has worked for more than 25 years to administer and make
grants from hundreds of named endowment funds on behalf of the community. For more information, visit Foundation for
Roanoke Valley’s website at www.foundationforroanokevalley.org or call 985-0204.
Photo L to R: Laurie Gibbons, Chief Operating Officer at
Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia; Amanda Mansfield, Director of
Development at Roanoke Children’s Theatre; Cari C. Gates, Supervisor of Fine
and Performing Arts at Roanoke City Public Schools; Dylan Locke, Artist
Director at Jefferson Center; Amy Milberger, Director of Development at
Jefferson Center; and Russell Baskett, Executive Director at SML Good
Neighbors, Inc.
