AthFest Educates announced its winter grant recipients. The organization, dedicated to advancing high-quality music and arts education for Athens area youth in grades k-8 by awarding educators and youth development specialists with the funds they need to provide meaningful arts experience for their students, awarded grants totaling $25,469. $11,130 was awarded for grants for music and arts programs and experiences, and $14,339 for instruments and equipment, bringing the total to date that AthFest Educates has donated to local teachers and educators to over $236,000.
The UGA Performing Arts Center received a $5000 grant for 2,000 Clarke County School District students to attend concerts at the center. Nuci’s Space received $3,000 to offer five full scholarships to attend Camp Amped. The Lyndon House Arts Center got $3,130 for 50 5th-8th graders to participate in a portrait photography workshop in collaboration with the Athens Council on Aging that will have participants create portraits of local senior citizens.
Chase Street Elementary got $4,250 to purchase contrabass chimes to create an outdoor music garden. Teachers at Winterville Elementary got $3,410 for musical instruments, as well as $1,226 for display rails to exhibit artwork at the school. Hilsman Middle School, Timothy Road Elementary and Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle got musical instruments totaling $5.451, including multiple string instruments for their orchestra, ukuleles and electric guitars/ basses and amps for their music programs.
A full list of grantees and descriptions of grants are available here.
AthFest Educates Executive Director Jill Helme said, “We're continually impressed by the creative ideas we receive and we're excited to support the wide range of music and arts opportunities and experiences that are being made available to Athens youth."