For our 2011-2012 program year, we are on track to reaching our goal of bring arts programming to 4,000 children. We have established relationships with 15 new social service facilities, bringing our total to 30 partner facilities. Of those new partner facilities, eight are in the St. Paul area, bringing our Weekly Mentorship Program to communities that were previously not reached by Free Arts.

We plan to hit our expansion goal of serving 4,000 children in 2012. We will also be executing a summer mentorship program partnership with the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and local artist Wing Young Huie where the children will be working with the artist, taking field trips to the MIA and focusing on a sports themed curriculum. This partnership will culminate in an exhibition at the MIA. In the fall we will be launching a healthy eating food education curriculm to the youth in our Weekly Mentorship Program.

We serve at-risk youth ages 3-20

The communities from which the youth in our programs are drawn are some of the most diverse and economically challenged neighborhoods in the Twin Cities. Among them are the Powderhorn, Phillips, Seward, Central, Bancroft, Near North, Frogtown, Hopkins, Shoreview, East Side and University neighborhoods and St. Paul.