St. Vincent de Paul’s Family Success Center has received a grant from the Norton Foundation in support of a new program called Urban Artists: Enhancing Creativity, Empowering Education.
The grant, which totals more than $5,000, will be designated for the drama and arts components of the program.
The announcement was of the grant was made on Nov. 23.
SVDP opened the Family Success Center in September of 2014 to provide educational and social development opportunities for at-risk children who have experienced extreme poverty and homelessness.
A $1.4 million project, the Center was built from the conversion of a former SVDP Thrift Store and Processing Center at the site, 1029 S. Preston St. Today the Center serves the children who live on the SVDP campus (currently about 60 children) as well as youths in the surrounding neighborhoods of Smoketown and Shelby Park. The Center provides year-round programming.
The Family Success Center features work rooms such as an art and music room, a tech and homework lab, recreational space, a gym and a teaching kitchen. Partnerships with Dare to Care, which provides a Kids Cafe, and JCPS (the Center is a JCPS Learning Site) support daily operations along with dedicated staff as well as volunteer support.
Current curriculum is designed to provide children with access to information and new experiences to build creative thinking, curiosity and self-esteem. Programs include tutoring, athletic programs, and enrichment workshops such as art classes, interpersonal communication, finance for kids and cooking classes.
The Family Success Center offers programming during spring break and the summer vacation period as well. Importantly, a goal of the Center is to engage parents, helping them become more informed and empowered as parents, a key factor to each child’s success both in personal development and in school.
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