Community Outreach Program Netted $120,000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 3, 2012
Contact: Dana Self
(816) 235-2949, selfd@umkc.edu
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Conservatory’s Academy at the University of Missouri-Kansas City has received two grants totaling $120,000 from Kansas City’s Francis Family Foundation.
The two grants, a $100,000 leadership grant and a $20,000 grant, will bolster the Academy’s Musical Bridges program. Musical Bridges provides exceptional young musicians with the intensive, one-on-one instruction and performance experience necessary to prepare for auditions into selective university programs. The Academy functions as a division within the Conservatory, providing non-credit preparatory performing arts education and community engagement programs for children and adults.
“We are humbled by this unexpected support from the Francis Family Foundation. It will bolster the Musical Bridges program and assist with long term planning. Our impact within the Kansas City community will deepen and grow from this cornerstone,” Mara Gibson, director of the Conservatory’s Academy, said.
Through the Conservatory’s Academy and its outreach programs, such as Musical Bridges, the Conservatory family of students, faculty, and alumni serves as mentors to young students in the Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri schools.
About the Conservatory
Dubbed “one of the country’s liveliest academies” by The New York Times, UMKC’s Conservatory of Music and Dance is internationally recognized as a center for artistic excellence, innovation and engagement with our communities. A community of artists, educators and scholars, the Conservatory enrolls about 500 students in a comprehensive array of liberal arts and professional degree programs in Composition, Music Theory and Musicology; Dance; Instrumental Studies, Keyboard Studies; Music Education/Music Therapy; Jazz Studies; and Vocal Studies.
About the University of Missouri-Kansas City
The University of Missouri-Kansas City, one of four University of Missouri campuses, is a public university serving more than 15,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UMKC engages with the community and economy based on a four-part mission: life and health sciences; visual and performing arts; urban issues and education; and a vibrant learning and campus life experience. For more information about UMKC, visit www.umkc.edu. You can also find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and watch us on YouTube.
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