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Glick Fund Awards $80,000 Grant to Help Launch Online Directory for Arts Education

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Beginning today, central Indiana teachers will have 24/7 access to 100+ arts & cultural offerings through one website, IndyArtsEd.org. The Arts Council of Indianapolis launched the state’s first online Education Provider Directory…

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Beginning today, central Indiana teachers will have 24/7 access to 100+ arts & cultural offerings through one website, IndyArtsEd.org. The Arts Council of Indianapolis launched the state’s first online Education Provider Directory thanks to an $80,000 grant award from the Glick Fund, a fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF). It is one of several arts education initiatives benefiting K-8 students in Indianapolis Public Schools. The new website, IndyArtsEd.org, is an online directory of arts & cultural services offered by central Indiana’s leading arts and cultural organizations, including the Freetown Village, Inc., Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Dance Kaleidoscope and over 25 other organizations. As part of the launch, the Arts Council created a $5,000 transportation fund from contributions made since 2015. Funds are available through January 13, or until all the funds are all distributed. All central Indiana schools are eligible, public, private, and religious.

“IndyArtsEd.org has the potential to enhance the opportunity for our arts organizations to impact the academic, social and artistic success of thousands of central Indiana students in ways only the arts can.” Arts Council Interim President Shannon Linker said. “Together, Indianapolis Public Schools and the arts community have combined resources to support our collective goal of ensuring access to the arts to every student and adult in central Indiana.”

The short-term objective of IndyArtsEd.org is to eliminate the gaps in access to the arts for students enrolled in schools who have had minimal access to field trips, music, visual art, theater, dance and media arts. The longer-term objective is to provide everyone with increased access to arts education regardless of school district, grade or economic status.

“As an Any Given Child school, our students have the opportunity to participate in hands-on arts activities that expand beyond what we would otherwise be able to offer,” said IPS Center for Inquiry School 2 Principal Andrea Hunley. “When children have the opportunity to see themselves as painters, dancers, singers, storytellers and musicians, they have the opportunity to express themselves in ways that are not constrained to a paper and pencil task. They have the opportunity to shine off of the page.”

Participating arts organizations will have a profile on the website with their logo, but they will also be able to promote specific offerings, such as a dance class for kindergarten children with a price quote and contact information. Programs are searchable from disciplines such as dance, music, theatre, but also by providing arts organization, as well as by Common Core Curriculum Standards.

The website is part of the Any Given Child Indy campaign launched by Indianapolis Public Schools and the local arts community in 2016 with a five-year plan to provide enrichment programs to 23,000 students attending K-8 public schools, both traditional and charter. Participating arts and cultural organizations will also be featured on the homepages of participating schools and school districts.

95 percent of teachers at Indianapolis Public Schools report that the arts should be part of the school-day program. Additionally, employers list creativity at the top of their list of skills for the future workforce. CICF Senior Community Investment Officer Andrew Black, noted, “Since beginning this campaign together, there has always been this idea of creating the ‘Angies List’ for arts education to include teacher access to arts resources and to bolster access of teachers and schools by artists and arts educators.”

There is no fee to use the online directory, and it is available to everyone — public schools, private schools, community centers, etc. Additionally, grants of up to $1,000 are available for those Indianapolis Public Schools who are part of the Any Given Child Indy network of schools. These grants are made possible through funding provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information on the directory, please contact Education Partnerships Coordinator, Rishard Allen at rallen@indyarts.org or by phone at 317-631-3301.

 

About the Glick Fund at Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF)
The Glick Fund at Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) was established by Eugene and Marilyn Glick in 1998 to support a variety of philanthropic organizations and programs in central Indiana, particularly those benefiting the arts, cultural and civic causes, education, self-sufficiency and basic needs. The Glick Fund at CICF also supports initiatives aimed at elevating the quality of life in central Indiana, including through its $18 million gift to the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, an asset connecting core neighborhoods of Indianapolis and driving urban economic development. The Glick Fund at CICF is a part of Glick Philanthropies, a family of charitable initiatives, programs and organizations focused on building community and creating opportunity.

About Glick Philanthropies
Glick Philanthropies is a family of charitable initiatives, programs and organizations focused on building community and creating opportunity. Together, Glick Philanthropies strives to strengthen the quality of life in central Indiana and in communities where Gene B. Glick Company properties are located to ensure that people in those communities can reach their full potential and lead lives of dignity. Glick Philanthropies includes the Glick Family Foundation, Glick Family Housing Foundation, Glick Fund at Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), Glick Fund at the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis (JFGI) and corporate social responsibility efforts of the Gene B. Glick Company. Since 1982, Glick Philanthropies has awarded over $150 million to charitable causes and has led a transformative effort to improve education and economic opportunity on Indianapolis’ far eastside where the Gene B. Glick Company was originally headquartered.

About Any Given Child Indianapolis
Any Given Child Indy is a collective impact partnership led by Indianapolis Public Schools, the Mayor’s Office of Indianapolis, and the Arts Council of Indianapolis to ensure quality arts education for all 23,000 K-8 students in Indianapolis public schools (district and charter). The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ created Any Given Child as a national network to ensure equity in arts education for K-8 students in public schools. Since 2015, an Indianapolis team of civic, corporate, and arts and education leaders have worked with 200+ volunteers and parents to create a data-driven plan for ensuring arts access for every child. Any Given Child Indy is currently in its second year of program implementation. More information and opportunities for involvement can be accessed online at www.anygivenchildindy.org.

About the Arts Council of Indianapolis
The Arts Council is an organization that advocates for the need and importance of broad community funding and support for a thriving arts scene; connects artists, audiences, businesses, foundations, and arts and cultural organizations with opportunities to expand central Indiana’s creative vitality; and innovates by constantly pursuing and promoting programs that catalyze creative growth in central Indiana.

The Arts Council owns and operates two performance and exhibition spaces, the Indianapolis Artsgarden (attached to Circle Centre Mall) and Gallery 924 (at 924 N. Pennsylvania Street). The Arts Council allocates public funding to arts and cultural organizations through a competitive grant program; offers fellowship opportunities including the Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship, the Transformational Impact Fellowship, the Robert D. Beckmann, Jr. Emerging Artist Fellowship, and the DeHaan Artist of Distinction Award; provides programs, services, and technical assistance for artists and arts organizations; and manages the city’s public art program including the new Public Art for Neighborhoods initiative. The Indy Arts Guide provides a comprehensive arts calendar featuring thousands of events, performances, and exhibitions throughout central Indiana. For more information on the Arts Council, call (317) 631-3301 or visit online at indyarts.org.