Side x Side is very pleased to announce that it has recently been awarded a $7,560.00 grant from the Peaks Island Fund of the Maine Community Foundation. The Maine Community Foundation works to improve the quality of life for all Maine people and the Peaks Island Fund connects people who care with causes that matter to benefit the Peaks Island community. The grant funding will go toward a multidisciplinary afterschool program on Peaks Island with artists Pamela Moulton and Jamie Hogan that will bring critical thinking, creativity and innovation to students while aligning with core curriculum on Landforms and World War II history. The program will be conducted in collaboration with Ocean Avenue Elementary School students in Portland.

Side x Side is also honored to have been awarded two grants from the Maine Arts Commission in the amount of $3,900.00. The Maine Arts Commission is a dynamic state agency supporting Maine arts and culture through grants and services. A Maine Arts Commission Organizational Development award will allow Side x Side to work with Lift360 to create a comprehensive plan to guide Side x Side toward achieving its mission while supporting its growth and enabling the organization to deepen its connections to the school district and greater Portland community. A Maine Arts Commission Arts Learning award will provide funds to hire local consultants to provide engaging and relevant professional development in arts integration best practices to classroom teachers.

Side x Side ignites academic excellence in education through comprehensive arts integration by bringing critical thinking, creativity and innovation into the classroom through arts-based programs. Through community partnerships with the University of Southern Maine, the Portland Public School Department, local artists and professionals, Side x Side integrates classroom curriculum with the arts to enhance student learning and achievement. Side x Side began in 2014 working with over 300 students in one elementary school. This year, Side x Side will reach over 1,700 K-5 students in four elementary schools.

We at Side x Side are very excited to be the recipients of a grant from the Maine Community Foundation’s Peaks Island Fund which will help expand our programming outside of Portland and two grants from the Maine Arts Commission that will strengthen our organization and deliver high-impact professional development for classroom teachers and teaching artists.

For more information on the Peaks Island Fund and the Maine Community Foundation, go to:
http://peaksislandfund.org
http://www.mainecf.org

For more information on the Maine Arts Commission, go to:
http://mainearts.maine.gov