Profile: Kids Up Front Foundation

Kids Up Front is a wonderful resource, with offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Toronto. We contacted Tanya Frosst, the Program Coordinator at the Toronto office.

Profile: Kids Up Front
Status: Resource
Community served: Children and Youth
Service offered: Free Tickets to Events for Agency Partners
Location: Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver
Mandate: “Kids Up Front Foundation (Toronto) is a new charity making a big difference in our community by increasing access to arts, cultural and recreational events for children and youth…

Through our partnerships with corporations, entertainment venues and the public, we are able to “recycle” tickets that would otherwise go to waste, and distribute them to our 115 child-serving partner agencies. They, in turn, give the tickets to the kids and families they serve – providing them with the opportunity to attend a variety of world-class events, including concerts, live theatre performances, sporting events, gallery visits and so much more…

Kids Up Front believes that our community is rich in talent and creativity. Unfortunately barriers such as poverty, illness, disability and minority status prevent many groups from experiencing the art, cultural, musical and recreational events that go on in our city. Kids Up Front’s programs allow more of Toronto’s population to participate in community events…

Our charitable agency partners have neither the time nor the budget to secure these kinds of opportunities for their kids – their focus is on providing food, shelter, counseling and clothing. However, they continually tell us that this “nourishment of the spirit” is exactly what so many need in order to cope, heal and “fit in”.” (One Page Summary)

ArtBridging: Kids Up Front has free tickets to theatre, performances, art shows, etc. for children who attend your community art program/centre in a community that needs hope and opportunity the most.
Contact: Tanya Frosst, Program Coordinator at the Kids Up Front Toronto office
Phone number: 416-530-2352
E-mail: tanya@kidsupfronttoronto.com
Website:
http://www.kidsupfront.com

-submitted by Tanya Frosst, Kids Up Front

Please see ArtBridges’ Google Map for contact information.

Profile: Focus on Nature

website: focusonnature.ca

blog: focusonnatureca.blogspot.com/

status:Project

community served: Children

arts focus: Photography

location: Guelph, Ontario

“Inspiring children to explore and appreciate nature through photography”

“Focus on Nature is an educational program that uses photography to connect children to nature, and to engage them in learning. ” (from web)

Photo taken By Charlotte

 

I met with Shirley Hunt in October. She is founder and director of a project called Focus on Nature. Working with a team of professional photographers and teachers, Shirley (a social worker by trade) brings this arts-ecology program into schools to reach kids who might not otherwise have opportunities for specialized arts instruction or nature experience.

With the goal of engaging kids in learning through nature photography, the kids are given cameras to use, taught the creative elements of photography, and taken on photography field trips to explore and document local natural environments. The beauty of the cameras is that they inspire these young people to go outside, and to look at nature in a different way, up close and with eyes wide open. The learning and connecting that comes from this new perspective has been really exciting for Shirley and her team to watch unfold.

As the program has evolved, efforts have been made to target schools deemed “higher need”. Community response has been excellent so far with student work featured in local newspapers and art exhibits, and alliances formed with businesses and schools.

- Seanna

 

Please see our Google Map for contact information.