Crosswalk Ministries USA receives grant from Georgia Council for the Arts

MCDONOUGH, Ga. - July 10, 2023 - PRLog -- Crosswalk Ministries USA was awarded a project grant by Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA), a strategic arm of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. First-round grant funding for fiscal year 2024 includes a total of 269 grants across 47 counties in three funding categories, which range from COVID-19 recovery support to specific projects to educational programming.

"These vital funds bring life into communities all across the state. Music, theatre, dance, and visual art attract tourists, bring community members together, teach children self-confidence, revitalize downtowns, and more," said Georgia Council for the Arts Executive Director Tina Lilly. "Through this program, GCA is able to support vibrant communities where people want to live and businesses want to locate."

"Artreach 180 uses visual and performing arts in a therapeutic way to build relational and coping skills that empower at-risk youth to make positive life choices," stated Executive Director for Crosswalk Ministries USA Sheryl Boddie. "Funds from this award will help us expand programming so that we can serve more youth and continue to improve our community."

Community improvements are measured in part by a reduction in criminal activity (recidivism) for ARTreach 180 youth. The national three-year recidivism rate for youth is close to 70%. ARTreach 180 boasts a recidivism rate of less than 4% for youth who complete the program. In partnership with Henry County Juvenile Probation and Henry County Schools, recidivism is mapped for ARTreach 180 participants for three years. In addition to recidivism, other aspects are monitored by a team of probation officers, teachers, administrators, parents, and key staff. These include school attendance, academic performance, and a reduction in discipline incidents at school. Students also self-report in a pre-test and post-test at the beginning and end of each school year. Those results are calculated and deemed successful if more than 90% of students report an improvement in vital social skills, anger management, emotional regulation, and conflict resolution.

Funds awarded by Georgia Council for the Arts include appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) uses Peer Review Panels to judge and review applications following standard practices set by the National Endowment for the Arts. Panelists are GCA Council members and fellow professionals who are experienced in the arts discipline or type of grant being reviewed, or are citizens with a record of arts activities, experience, and knowledge. Grant recipients include theaters, dance companies, museums, cities, colleges, and multi-discipline arts entities.

For more information about Crosswalk Ministries and its mission to uplift communities, please visit https://crosswalkusa.org.