Arts grants target Philadelphia youth

$350,000 was raise privately and from donations by Philadelphia city workers

The Philadelphia Cultural Fund is spending over $350,000 to help provide Cultural Arts Programming to youth in the city.

The funding is called Youth Arts Enrichment Grants, and will go to groups ranging from the Asian Arts Initiative to the Kulu Mele Aferican American Dance Ensemble to help teach cultural values and build character among the city’s youth. Vivian Nicks Early is part of Build A Bridge International. She says the funding is a lifeline.

“This grant gives some of our most challenged children in our city the opportunity to live hopeful resilient and creative lives, because there is so much research that lets us know of the tremendous impact that the arts have on our brains, on our learning capacity our physical and emotional healing and the development of positive inner character.”

For the first time, the grants were fueled by donations from Philadelphia city employees.