I’ve always believed that art is vital, arguably the heartbeat of our society. I started dancing at the age of three, studied dance at college, and now work at an arts non-profit and teach dance to kids at night. I chose to live in Jamaica Plain because it’s evident that our neighborhood supports and recognizes the importance of keeping art alive through community events, classes, and artistic demonstrations.

There’s so much talent and potential that exists within our city’s youth. However, opportunity doesn’t always meet that talent. That’s why this month for Giving Tuesday I’d like to ask you to donate to Boston Arts Academy’s students. If you’re not familiar, Boston Arts Academy is the only public high school in our city for the visual and performing arts. Students are accepted from all 23 neighborhoods of Boston including Jamaica Plain, solely based on their talent. In 2019, BAA’s valedictorian was from Jamaica Plain.

Because of donor support, students can receive an arts-intensive, college preparatory curriculum at no cost to them or their families. This is a remarkable opportunity. Arts-based education has shown to increase participation and engagement at school. However, only 61 percent of students in Boston Public Schools have access to art classes. BAA is an exception, creating access and opportunity. 97 percent of the students that attend BAA are accepted to college. There are over 1,700 alumni that are succeeding and innovating in their careers.

Next year, BAA’s students will move into a brand-new school building in Fenway with a 500-seat theatre, gymnasium, and various practice and performance spaces. This is just the beginning for the school and our city’s next generation of artists, scholars, and global citizens. Your donations could help fund pointe shoes for the dance majors, fabric for the fashion tech majors, a scholarship to attend summer programming, a guest artist workshop, or pay for education for one student for one year to attend BAA.

Any donation amount counts - $10, $20, $50, $100, $500 etc. Let’s help our city’s youth succeed and ensure that art remains a vital part of our communities. You can donate here: Giving Tuesday 2021 - Boston Arts Academy Foundation.

If you’d like to make a bigger impact beyond Giving Tuesday, let’s connect: cdurkin@baafdn.org.

Authored by: Caitlin Fisher Durkin

SOURCE: Jamaica Plain News