Examples of Grants Awarded
We are inspired by the excellent work of our grantees and honored to share several projects that align with our mission.
Cleveland Institute of Music
Commitment to Equity:
The Cleveland Institute of Music has established a comprehensive, long-term approach to addressing racism and injustice in classical music. In the preparatory division, Black and Latinx students have access to full scholarships and tailored support through the Musical Pathway Fellowship.
At the conservatory level, Black and Latinx representation in the student body has grown 338%, with scholarship support for these students increasing 26% (versus 9% overall). On campus, the Champions for Systemic Change taskforce convenes stakeholders to integrate DEI into core activities – creating community standards to address bias, harassment, and cultural insensitivity; holding workshops on racial justice and white privilege; and diversifying the repertoire studied in class and performed on stage.
For post-graduates, the Future of Music Faculty Fellowship prepares Black and Latinx music professionals from across the country for careers in higher education.
From CIM’s Letter Of Inquiry and Proposal:
The classical music world is one of the least diverse sectors in the United States. Among the members of the nation’s top orchestras, just 1.8% are Black and 2.5% are Latinx – numbers that have barely budged in decades. To remain a relevant artform, it is imperative that the classical musical world of the future be more inclusive, diverse, and reflective of our communities.
CIM’s Musical Pathway Fellowship provides free world-class music instruction for talented local Black and Latinx students in middle and high school. In its fifth year, MPF has become one of the nation’s prominent pathway programs in classical music. Ten fellows receive full scholarships covering private lessons in their instrument, piano classes, ensemble training, music theory, and eurythmics (which teaches musical concepts kinesthetically, using physical movement). The MPF program represents a long-term investment in these students’ success in school, work, and life.
Now that MPF is a proven program, an endowed fund will generate enduring support, providing long-term stability and sustainability, and ensuring that MPF has the longevity that serious racial justice demands.
Cleveland Public Library Foundation
CPLF’s similar project: The BookBox in Wade Oval.
Commitment to Equity:
The US has had a long history of xenophobia against Asian Pacific Islander Desi American's (APIDA). The pandemic has further exacerbated the rise of anti-Asian American sentiment within the APIDA community, who are experiencing an alarming increase in racial violence. Cleveland Public Library's Artbox will promote equitable literacy and support an understanding of APIDA by celebrating this community’s arts and cultural contributions. The Artbox will be a central place to raise collective beliefs in radical art, to raise awareness of issues facing APIDA, and to support Asiatown in becoming a destination neighborhood in Cleveland. The Artbox will provide a physical space for performances and culturally relevant programs. The Library has secured additional funding from the Ohio Arts Council to hire an APIDA artist to paint the outside of the box so even when it's not open for service, it will be a piece of public art in Cleveland's Asiatown neighborhood.
Excerpt from CPLF’s Letter of Inquiry:
In Asiatown, there is a huge need for children's programming as there are not many accessible resources in APIDA languages. To address this need, CPLF is planning for the majority of programming at the Artbox to be dedicated to children, such as stories times and especially puppet shows. There will be a space for children's literature in APIDA languages and crafts for them to learn more about APIDA arts (ex. folding origami, Yin Yang paper plate puzzles). CPLF believes that having this permanent space for children is crucial to not only help children access books in their native languages but also to learn about their culture and identity through art.
University Circle, Inc.
Commitment to Equity:
UCI is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion internally, through staff and board efforts, and externally, through its programs and services. UCI’s programming connects the residents of historically excluded neighboring communities to the resources of the Circle; the dept. of Community Education has made equity and access the focus of its programs, with 90%+ of participants in grades K-12 from families of color. Public events – WOW! Wade Oval Wednesdays and YAY! Saturdays – welcome all to participate in the life of the Circle, with extensive marketing in neighboring communities and attractions that represent diverse cultural interest.
Excerpt from UCI’s Letter of Inquiry:
UCI is requesting funding to purchase 750 books to be given to children that are new, primarily hardback, and written and illustrated by Black, Indigenous and People of Color authors and artists during YAY! Saturday's. In planning for a summer Saturdays literacy-based program on Wade Oval intended for Cleveland Municipal School District children, it was determined that UCI should be more intentional in choosing picture books to highlight for the summer StoryWalks and related literacy activities. Through research, UCI became aware of critical issues to consider in providing high quality literature to young children and resources for identifying outstanding titles. It is critical that Black children see their faces, lives, and interests reflected in the pages of picture books in order to connect with the content of the story and be motivated to read. (Equity and Diversity, p. 93). They must “feel seen, valued, and loved in their reading lives.” (Sonya Cherry-Paul, www.chalkbeat.org).