Archive: Around Town

The Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG), an affiliate of IPEI, has awarded $5,330 in mini-grants to 13 Ithaca City School District (ICSD) projects that will reach 2,095 students.

Funded projects include support for DeWitt, Boynton, Lehman Alternative Community School and Ithaca High School drama programs grants; Enfield Band Mentors Program; technical theater hand tools; a dance residency in pre-K classrooms; Maori sticks for Beverly J. Martin and Caroline Elementary schools; artist visits following a Kids Discover the Trail! Ithaca Johnson Museum field trip; Boynton Middle School music sight reading assistance; Beauty and the Beast; and Ithaca High visual arts tools for ceramics.  For example, through an early childhood dance/creative movement and literacy initiative, dancer Lisa Tsetse will work with three Beverly J. Martin Elementary pre-k and kindergarten classrooms on a project called "Inside Outside Upside Down".



Booster Grants Chairperson Mary Ann Erickson says, "It's inspiring to help support the wonderful work that teachers and students create in the arts." Co-President Alice Wu adds, "FABG is very glad to support the ICSD teachers in their varied and creative projects, which will help enhance students' knowledge and appreciation of the arts."


Grant funds are made possible through Fine Arts Booster Group performance booklet ad sales and donations. The boosters produce performance booklet programs for middle and high school concerts and plays, totaling over thirty events each year.

Ongoing FABG initiatives include mini-grants to teachers, printing the performance booklets for ICSD secondary schools' concerts and drama productions; fundraising; Play It Again, Ithaca (collection of used musical instruments and funds to purchase new instruments for use in the schools); and various advocacy efforts in support of arts in the schools.

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