Charlestown Schools Receive Funding to Expand Arts Programs

Schools in Charlestown and East Boston were among several Boston Public Schools throughout the city to receive more than $700,000 in grants this week as part of a Boston Arts Expansion Fund. 

The funds were donated by EdVestors, which works to identify and shape improvement initiatives in urban schools, and the following schools in Charlestown and East Boston were affected:

• Charlestown High School
• Guild Elementary School
• Harvard/Kennedy Elementary School
• Otis Elementary School
• East Boston High School
• Adams Elementary School
• Bradley Elementary School

The BPS Arts Expansion initiative began as a three-year, $2.5 million effort to expand arts education, and the fund essentially facilitates partnerships between individual Boston Public Schools and local artists and arts organizations to develop arts programming in schools. 

As such, schools will subsequently partner  with local artists and groups to provide theater, visual arts, dance, choral and instrumental instruction, among other initiatives. 

"We are proud to support schools in Charlestown and East Boston and across the city as they work to improve access to quality arts education for their students," Laura Perille, EdVetsors Executive Director said in a statement. "As shown in our recent research, these programs offer invaluable opportunities for students to learn, engage and thrive in the public school setting."