FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Jesters program of the University of Saint Francis has been approved for a $20,000 Grants for Arts Projects award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Jesters is among 1,073 projects across America selected for nearly $25 million in grants during this first round of fiscal year 2021 funding in the Grants for Arts Projects category. Jesters will receive the grant for “Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works.”
“The Jesters program inspires the spirit of inclusion through the power of the creative arts,” USF Creative Arts Executive Director Colleen Huddleson said. “We are thrilled to continue this poignant and joyful expression of our mission, with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts, for our students, participants, their families and the community.”
Founded by USF in 1978, Jesters is an intergenerational, multidisciplinary performing arts program for people with mild to severe intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD). The purpose of the Jesters is to enhance quality of life for people with I/DD by engaging them in the creative arts.
“USF is grateful for the NEA’s continued support of the Jesters program,” Jesters Director Allison Ballard said. “This year, in response to COVID-19, a multifaceted virtual Jester program has been customized to meet participant needs. To leverage this strength-based opportunity, the program has added a new program goal: bridging the digital divide. Jesters participants are not only learning art skills, they are gaining technology skills, increasing computer literacy, and learning to connect to a virtual world.”
The NEA has regularly recognized the impact of the Jesters program in awarding grants.
“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support this project from the University of Saint Francis,” Arts Endowment Acting Chairman Ann Eilers said. “The Jesters program of the University of Saint Francis is among the arts organizations across the country that have demonstrated creativity, excellence and resilience during this very challenging year.”
For more information on Jesters, please contact Jesters Director Allison Ballard at aballard@sf.edu.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the College of Health Sciences, College of Arts, Sciences, and Business and College of Adult and Distance Education. In addition to its traditional programs, USF designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online. USF Downtown houses the university’s business and music technology programs while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis campus experience includes 18 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships and is recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution. Approximately 2,200 students from a broad geographic region attend USF.