Engaging in the arts provides a range of benefits for students, from improving memory to boosting self-confidence. But for many families, activities like music lessons are out of their price range. And when schools need to make budget cuts, art programs are often the first to go, putting the arts even more out of reach for underserved communities.
Charlottesville’s Music Resource Center aims to make the arts affordable and accessible to all teens. The center uses a sliding scale based on family income—no one pays more than $200 per year—and provides more than half of its members with sponsorships. Once signed up, middle and high school students are able to drop by the center as often as they like, and use any of its instruments and equipment. They can also take unlimited music lessons, host recording sessions, and participate in a variety of summer camps. Older teens interested in working in the music industry can take advantage of job training and paid internships.
At Light House Studio, Charlottesville youth can also express themselves with filmmaking, regardless of their background. Through its community partnerships, the nonprofit offers in-school instruction, after-school workshops, and a summer film academy at little to no cost for many participants. In addition to learning how to direct, produce, and edit their own movies, students can build a variety of technical and creative skills, including screenwriting, animation, narrative-building, and virtual reality. High schoolers have the opportunity to compete in the annual Adrenaline Film Project, which challenges each team to write, cast, shoot, and edit a film in just three days.