PPAC's Community Outreach Committee Announces ARTS Scholarships 2024 Program for RI Middle School Students
Made possible by the generous support of
The Textron Charitable Trust,
Ocean State Charities Trust and
PPAC’s Annual Fund donors
with support from WPRI 12
Providence, RI – The Community Outreach Committee of the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) is pleased to announce that applications for the ARTS Scholarships 2024 program are available at https://www.ppacri.org/scholarships
Applications and supporting materials must be received no later than 12P on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.
Through the program, 60-80 Rhode Island students in the 6th – 8th grades will have the exciting opportunity to receive up to $600 in scholarship funding to enroll in and attend summer arts-related educational opportunities of their choosing.
“When the Marketing Department and the Community Outreach Committee established the ARTS Scholarships program in 1996, we chose to focus on students in middle school since it is a time in their lives when they are developing their interests and passions,” said P.J. Prokop, Director of Marketing at PPAC. “As of this year, more than 700 ARTS Scholarships have been awarded! We encourage artists in the sixth through eighth grade to apply to be part of the program; it’s a wonderful opportunity. We are grateful to the Textron Charitable Trust for their continued leadership in supporting the Scholarships.”
The ARTS Scholarships program was created thanks to a portion of the proceeds from the First Annual Greater Providence Gospel Fest, a production of the Providence Performing Arts Center which featured local, volunteer gospel choirs).
Eligible students must be in grades 6th, 7th, or 8th, or the home school equivalent at the time of submitting their application and reside in Rhode Island. Applicants must be interested in the arts and demonstrate need, financial or otherwise.
Several recipients will receive special memorial Scholarships supported by the DePietro, O’Donnell, and Ragosta families to carry on the artistic spirit of their loved ones.
For more information, please visit the ARTS Scholarships website or email scholarship@ppacri.org.
Previous scholarship winners have participated in opportunities spanning the arts and at sites throughout Rhode Island, including the Rhode Island School of Design, Artists’ Exchange, Trinity Repertory Theatre, Academy Players of Rhode Island, Blue Door Studios, Newport Contemporary Ballet, the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School, BalletRI, Providence Country Day School, the Moses Brown School and PPAC’s own Next Stop BROADWAY summer theatrical intensive, among others.
The ARTS Scholarships program is one of the Providence Performing Arts Center’s Outreach and Engagement initiatives that engage students, educators, and families with the generous support of PPAC’s Annual Fund, attendees PPAC’s Annual Gala, and community granting and funding organizations. For more information, visit ppacri.org/outreach.
Community Outreach Committee
The Community Outreach Committee is a standing committee of the Providence Performing Arts Center’s Board of Directors and is comprised of PPAC Directors, Rhode Island educators and community leaders who share an interest in the arts and youth. The Committee’s mission includes developing arts education opportunities for Rhode Island’s young people and making the Providence Performing Arts Center accessible to Rhode Island’s diverse populations.
The ARTS Scholarships sub-committee is comprised of a panel of judges who review and select the recipients. The panel considers students’ written statements, samples of artwork or performance, recommendation from a teacher or advisor, and indication of need.
PPAC Media Contacts
P.J. Prokop, Director of Marketing:
(401) 574-3103 ▪ pjprokop@ppacri.org
Caitlyn DiPompo, Marketing/PR Projects Manager:
(401) 574-3112 ▪ cdipompo@ppacri.org