National Endowment for the Arts FY 2017 Fall Grant Announcement

the achievement gap in kindergarten readiness is a priority of Berea College Promise Neighborhood strategic
plan in coordination with the Kentucky Highlands Promise Zone that serves the same rural counties.
Big Thought (aka (formerly Young Audiences of Greater Dallas))
$100,000 Dallas, TX
To support Dallas City of Learning, a collective impact project. In partnership with the City of Dallas, Dallas
Independent School District, and Southern Methodist University Center on Research and Evaluation, Big Thought
will provide both in-person and Internet-based creative educational experiences for students across Dallas
during summer months, with a special outreach to those who live in underserved neighborhoods. In 2014, Dallas
was one of the initial City of Learning projects supported by the MacArthur Foundation to experiment in
visionary systems of peers and mentors that provide innovative opportunities for youth to follow their interests
including video making, fashion design, poetry, robotics, and computer coding. Each participating city awards
digital badges, a shareable digital credential, to students who acquire new skills.
Boston Children's Chorus, Inc. (aka BCC)
$20,000 Boston, MA
To support the Premier Choir and Young Men's Ensemble, providing rigorous vocal music training for high school
youth in the Greater Boston area. Young singers are trained by professional musicians during weekly rehearsals
and music theory classes in which students learn sight-reading, rhythmic concepts, music terminology, vocal
technique, and performance skills. In addition, students are provided opportunities to perform concerts, tour,
record, and work with composers premiering commissioned works. Both ensembles regularly appear with wellknown
soloists, conductors, and orchestras such as the Boston Pops, enabling the singers to perform with
professional musicians.
Boston University (On behalf of Tanglewood Institute)
$30,000 Boston, MA
To support the Tanglewood Institute's Young Artists Orchestra and Young Artists Wind Ensemble. The Boston
University Tanglewood Institute is an intensive, multi-week residential summer music program in Lenox,
Massachusetts, for gifted high school musicians. Participation in these two ensembles provides students with
opportunities for individual practice, chamber music experiences, large ensemble rehearsal, private lessons, and
master class participation. Faculty includes distinguished university professors, as well as accomplished
professional solo, chamber, and symphony musicians. The Young Artists Orchestra and the Young Artists Wind
Ensemble perform full concerts in Seiji Ozawa Hall on the main Tanglewood grounds, with weekly chamber
music performances throughout the community. Attending concerts is a required component of the curriculum,
including faculty recitals, peer performances, and daily concerts at the Tanglewood Music Festival.
Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, Inc. (aka BYSO)
$30,000 Boston, MA
To support the Intensive Community Program (ICP), a string instrument training program serving students in
Boston communities. The program gives access to classical music instruction to students from populations
historically underrepresented in classical music. Elementary school students are recruited from public schools,
inner-city churches, and community organizations, such as Boys and Girls Clubs and the Haitian Women's
Association. Students who may not otherwise have access are able to participate in weekly music lessons,
ensemble classes, a summer music workshop, master classes and performance opportunities. After a few years
of intensive study, students may audition into the youth symphony's entry-level orchestra, and many ICP
students progress through to the youth symphony's highest level orchestras.
Some details of the projects listed are subject to change, contingent upon prior Arts Endowment approval. Information is current as of
December 7, 2016.