RACC Press Releases
September 8, 2008
Arts education gets major boost from local foundations
With the help of several new community partners, K-8 students throughout the region will begin having more equitable access to arts education in the spring. The Regional Arts & Culture Council has received $310,000 in new grants to support Arts Partners, a collaboration among artists, arts organizations, school districts, governments, businesses and donors working to integrate arts education experiences into the standard curriculum across the region’s school districts. RACC is the managing partner of this effort and is pleased to announce this new round of funding, which includes:
- $150,000 from the Collins Foundation -- $50,000 each year for the 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years.
- $150,000 from the James F. & Marion L. Miller Foundation -- $50,000 each year for the 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years.
- $10,000 from the Bank of America Foundation for the 2008-09 school year.
“These grants come at a critical moment as we are gearing up to deliver services to 10,000 children and their teachers in 20 schools throughout the region starting in February,” said Eloise Damrosch, Executive Director of RACC. “Their support will help us turn the tide of declining arts education in our community.”
“We know that the arts are part of a well-rounded education,” Damrosch continued, “and studies have proven that our children do better in other subjects when they participate in arts education. But our students aren’t getting enough. Some students aren’t getting any. Arts Partners will correct this situation by integrating music, dance, art and theater as part of reading, writing, social studies, math and science lessons into classrooms throughout the region in a way that will benefit every student – and their overall academic performance will improve as a result.”
Today’s announcement, just one week after school began, brings RACC to 69% of its fundraising goal for the 2008-09 school year and helps support future expansion plans as well. (The program is expected to roughly double in size each year for the next 4-6 years until all students in the region are being served.) Each school district participating in the program in 2008-09 (Gresham-Barlow, Hillsboro, North Clackamas and Portland) has contributed funds to support this effort. Other grants have been secured from the City of Portland, Multnomah County, Clackamas County, the Oregon Arts Commission, the Hillsboro Arts & Culture Council, the PGE Foundation, and US Bank.
The Regional Arts & Culture Council works to integrate arts and culture in all aspects of community life throughout the Portland metropolitan region, including Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington Counties. On the web at www.racc.org.
The Collins Foundation, an independent private foundation, was created by Truman W. Collins and other members of the family of E. S. Collins. It exists to give greater expression to humanitarian endeavors in the state of Oregon and to assist in improving the quality of life for Oregonians. On the web at www.collinsfoundation.org.
The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation was established in 2002 to enhance the quality of life of Oregonians through support of the arts and education. On the web at www.millerfound.org.
The Bank of America Foundation is committed to creating meaningful change in the communities we serve through our philanthropic efforts, associate volunteerism, community development activities and investing, support of arts and culture programming and environmental initiatives. On the web at www.bankofamerica.com/foundation.
For more information about Arts Partners specifically, visit www.racc.org/artspartners. A new brand identity for the program is scheduled to be announced on September 18.
Through vision, leadership and service the Regional Arts
& Culture Council works to integrate arts and culture in all aspects of
community life.
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Jeff Hawthorne
Director of Community Affairs
503.823.5258
jhawthorne@racc.org
Mary Bauer
Communications Associate
503.823.5426
mbauer@racc.org
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