DATE: May 31, 2023
CONTACT: Tere Ramos | tramos@pyd.org
Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD) to Receive $30,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
Boston, Massachusetts—Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD) has been approved for a $30,000 Grants for Arts Projects award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support their signature program, Access to Theater. This project will provide after-school and summer performing arts workshops and classes for youth. PYD’s project is among 1,130 projects across the country, totaling more than $31 million, that were selected during this second round of Grants for Arts Projects fiscal year 2023 funding.
“The National Endowment for the Arts is pleased to support a wide range of projects, including PYD, demonstrating the many ways the arts enrich our lives and contribute to healthy and thriving communities,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “These organizations play an important role in advancing the creative vitality of our nation and helping to ensure that all people can benefit from arts, culture, and design.”
“We are grateful for the support of the NEA again this year for our Access to Theater Program. ATT provides opportunities for youth with disabilities to enjoy the arts, theater and music through a safe and barrier-free environment. Through the generosity of the NEA, youth participants are able to gain leadership skills, social skills, build confidence and community in addition to having fun,” said PYD executive director Tere Ramos.
Students with and without physical, intellectual, mental, and sensory disabilities will learn acting, improvisation, movement, music, and visual arts skills. Project activities also will promote self-esteem, creativity, healthy lifestyles, and career development as the students transition into adulthood. Using a flexible structure and principles of Universal Design for Learning, the curriculum is designed to improve students’ artistic and academic skills.
For more information on other projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
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