Americana Project Arts Outreach scholarships fully funded

The Americana Project Arts Outreach Scholarship fund is fully funded and is assisting low-income students with arts-related learning. Started in 2011 by Sisters Folk Festival with an initial donation from Bank of the Cascades, the fund has grown under the watchful eye of Sisters Folk Festival staff and the Family Access Network.

“We started the fund to make sure all Sisters Country children had access to the arts,” said Katy Yoder, development director for Sisters Folk Festival. Yoder has raised over $17,000 this year. Most recently, SFF was awarded a grant from the PGE Foundation for $5,000.

“They’ve been a longstanding supporter of arts programming for children,” said Yoder. The PGE funds will go directly to FAN and will be used for all kinds of arts education offerings.

Yoder encourages families to use the funding to make the arts accessible for their children. “We wanted to remove any financial barriers for children who want to express themselves creatively,” said Yoder. The funds can be used for any kind of creative expression, from arts-related classes in the Sisters schools that require a materials cost, to tuition through private instructors.

APAOS covers dance lessons, music classes and art instruction. Students have also received scholarships to help pay for classes like the Woods I program at Sisters High School and the upper-level guitar- and ukulele-building classes. “Both classes have a materials cost,” said Yoder. “We don’t want that to stop students who want to learn new skills and create a beautiful instrument.”

“The FAN office in Sisters does a fantastic job introducing families to available resources in our area,” said Yoder. “We’re so thankful for the generosity of private donors and foundations who see the importance of arts education for our youth.”

For more information on the Americana Project Arts Outreach Scholarship fund, visit http://www.sistersfolk.org/apaos/ or call Katy Yoder at the SFF office, 541-549-4979