Press Release: WritersCorps Receives Grant from MetLife Foundation & National Guild

CONTACT: Melissa Hung, 415-252-4655, melissa.hung@sfgov.org

WRITERSCORPS RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS GRANT
FROM METLIFE FOUNDATION AND NATIONAL GUILD

MetLife Foundation Partners in Arts Education Program
awards $18,000 to WritersCorps to support its programs in public schools

SAN FRANCISCO, August 25, 2011 - MetLife Foundation and the National Guild for Community Arts Education announced that it has awarded WritersCorps an $18,000 grant from the MetLife Foundation Partners in Arts Education Program. WritersCorps is the only program on the West Coast ­- and the only literary arts program - to receive this grant. A total of $215,000 was awarded to 12 nonprofit arts education organizations nationwide that partner with K-12 public schools to provide sustained, quality arts instruction.

“We are thrilled to receive this award, which recognizes the innovation and creativity of the agency’s WritersCorps program in fostering a passion for the literary arts,” said JD Beltran, the Interim Director of Cultural Affairs at the San Francisco Arts Commission. “This grant, along with our recent award from the White House, is testament to the quality and impact of our work ”

The grant supports WritersCorps’ partnership with four San Francisco public schools to provide creative writing programs to 500 6th to 12th graders. The schools are Aptos Middle School, Downtown High School, International Studies Academy, and Mission High School.

National Guild Executive Director Jonathan Herman said: “Over the past two decades, the National Guild has identified best practices for arts education partnerships that have powerful, long-term effects on students, faculty, institutions, and communities. MetLife Foundation’s Partners in Arts Education Program supports partnerships that not only provide outstanding arts instruction but model effective partnership practices for the field. Since its launch in 2005, the program has directly benefitted thirty-eight community arts education organizations, more than 160 public schools and 47,000 students.”

“MetLife Foundation is proud to again partner with the National Guild on our shared commitment to making quality arts education accessible for children across the country,” stated Dennis White, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation. “We believe that arts education is critical to promoting learning and increasing understanding of the world and its diverse cultures. We are pleased to support these outstanding organizations and their programs.”

Since 1994, WritersCorps has placed professional writers in community settings to teach creative writing to youth. WritersCorps conducts workshops at public schools, libraries, community organizations, and the Juvenile Justice Center. During the 2011-12 academic year, WritersCorps will work at 11 sites in San Francisco. In fall 2010, WritersCorps received a National Arts and Humanities Youth Program from First Lady Michelle Obama in a White House ceremony.

WritersCorps places professional writers in community settings to teach creative writing to youth. Since its inception in 1994, the program has helped over 16,900 young people from neighborhoods throughout San Francisco improve their literacy and increase their desire to learn. WritersCorps is a joint project of the San Francisco Arts Commission and the San Francisco Public Library, and is part of a national alliance with sites in the Bronx and Washington, DC. www.writerscorps.org

The National Guild for Community Arts Education supports and advances access to lifelong learning opportunities in the arts. It fosters the creation and development of community arts education organizations and programs by providing research and information resources, professional development and networking opportunities, advocacy, funding, and high-profile leadership. Member organizations collectively serve more than 1.2 million students, employ 16,000 teaching artists, and reach an additional five million Americans each year through performances and exhibitions in rural, suburban and urban communities across the nation. Their impact on the lives of students and communities they serve is enduring and profound. www.nationalguild.org

MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 to carry on MetLife’s longstanding tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. The Foundation is committed to building a secure future for individuals and communities worldwide. Through programs focusing on empowering older adults, preparing young people and building livable communities, MetLife Foundation increases access and opportunities for people of all ages. Since it was established, MetLife Foundation has made more than $500 million in grants and $75 million in program related investments. www.metlife.org