smARTS receives $10,000 grant for arts education
While COVID-19 has impacted all of us adults, children have endured many challenges as well. Idyllwild has always supported the arts. For being such a small town, we are full of artists who use all different mediums.
smARTS, a 501c3 volunteer group, is dedicated to helping students learn about art, encouraging them to nourish their talent. The smARTS program has made its way into classrooms for 18 years and counting.
The group has provided art field trips, in-class art sessions and after-school programs for all ages and grades. COVID-19 hasn’t stopped smARTS from helping students learn art at home because physical classes aren’t in session.
PHOTO BY NANCY JONES
smARTS volunteer Nancy Jones said, “As a grant writer for smARTS, I applied for the Riverside County Nonprofit Assistance Fund for a $10,000 grant and was granted that amount to support our school and the arts.” Adding, “This grant is administered in partnership with Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) and is part of the CARES funding ($5 million approved by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors) during this time of COVID-19.”
smARTS was able to provide every student at Idyllwid School from kindergarten through eighth grade with art supplies.
Kindergarten through fifth grade students received a Lulu Jr. Illustory book. This unique art journal allows students to create their very own hardcover book. Once they write and illustrate the pages Lulu Jr. provides, students mail it back to the company, and within three weeks, the students receive their very own hardcover book of their work.
PHOTO BY NANCY JONES
Sixth through eighth grade students received a binder full of different types of art supplies including graphite and watercolor pencils, and two different journals to use as they wish.
“Lulu Jr. worked with us to reduce the cost of these sought-after book projects and will be blogging about our school on their Lulu Jr. blog,” Jones said. “Idyllwild School is the first to do an ‘all school’ book project with Lulu Jr.”
Every teacher received a cash stipend to help provide assistance in whatever way they deemed fit.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NANCY JONES
On Wednesday, Nov. 18, Jones and Idyllwild School staff and faculty went to Idyllwild School to pass out all the art supplies.
“smARTS wanted to reach out and support the students in the arts as well as the teachers who are creatively coming up with new ways to teach their students via online computer classes,” Jones said. “Any student who did not pick up their art supplies can do so now at the school’s front office.”
An education, no matter what subject, can never be taken away from you. These art journals will forever be a time capsule of what going to school during COVID-19 was like.
