Grantee: Shine Youth Fund

The purpose of Shine Youth Fund is to provide arts education, scholarship funding and accessible arts programs for youth in Spokane. Shine Youth Fund has three primary programs including: community outreach, scholarship funding, and Shine Art Center. Shine Art Center will have a new location in August, and programs for primary age learners will include specialized dance programs, beginning drama, music, art and more. This grant was used to support three six-week after-school dance programs, which began in October 2017 at the West Central Community Center. Shine Youth Fund will use the grant to hire a dance instructor, which will allow them to keep the cost of dance lessons extremely low, with many scholarships available.

WITH SAGA SUPPORT

Not only does the Spokane dance and arts scene benefit from having teaching opportunities for artists, but access to the arts for our most young and vulnerable populations is a critical need for our region. Grant funds were used to grow the community programs housed in community centers, and increase awareness of their programs. Executive Director, Jill Reeves says, “It is my hope that Shine Youth Fund programs will serve as a springboard for increased community among our art educators. Our community efforts will provide an opportunity to identify talented kids and create a path for their talents and passions to grow.”