"Art is science made clear."
Wilson Mizner

ArtsSmarts Vision

We envision a future where all young Canadians are enabled to reach their full potential as creative and confident participants in the cultural, social and economic life of the 21st century.

Mission

ArtsSmarts aims to improve the lives and learning capacity of all young people in urban, rural and remote regions of Canada by encouraging and supporting the engagement of artists, teachers, and students in collaborative artistic activities that are linked to educational outcomes.

Objectives

To build long-term, self-sufficient local partnerships that link young people, artists or arts organizations, schools, and the broader community;

to enable schools/community organizations to integrate arts activities in non-arts subject areas and, as much as possible, to be aligned with provincial curricula;

to provide opportunities for young people to actively participate in the arts, thereby encouraging them to develop their intellectual and communication skills; and
to enhance appreciation of the importance of culture and the arts, thereby encouraging long-term support for Canadian artists and arts organizations.

ArtsSmarts - Investing in a Creative Canada

For the past nine years, Karen Braden, CFPD’s Executive Director, and John Rennie, Curriculum Coordinator for the Portage School Division, jointly managed the Portage ArtsSmarts program. Teachers and artists worked together to bring curricula alive and thousands of school-aged children experienced learning through the arts.

The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation initiated ArtsSmarts in 1998 and CFPD became one of the first seven partners across Canada to launch the program. The McConnell Foundation was looking for a small community that had a community foundation and an arts council and Portage fit the criteria. Over $510,000 came to Portage for the program and $415,000 went to fund 285 projects in schools and community places.

For the last three years, the major challenge for the ArtsSmarts Committee was to secure funding and sustainability for the program. CFPD is delighted that the Portage and District Arts Council stepped up to the plate and in September 2007, took over CFPD's part in administering the program with the School Division.

CFPD is confident ArtsSmarts is in good hands. To show its support CFPD’s President Ernie Shwaluk presented a cheque for $15,000 from its regular grantmaking program for the 2007/2008 ArtsSmarts program. CFPD also pledged $2,500 per year for the next 4 years. The annual budget for the program is $40,000; so each year the ArtsSmarts Committee will approach the community for financial support.

The Portage School Division has financially supported the program for the past three years by injecting $20,000 per year. The Division sees much value in the program and pledged to continue their support for another five years.

Community individuals and business have generously donated over $10,000 for this year’s program and some have pledged support for up to five years.

The Canadian Education Association provided $5,000 for transition support for administration and may continue its support for another two years. Funding for the transition is provided by the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation.