Charleston, NY - The Schoharie River Center has been approved for a $20,000.00 "Grants for Arts Projects"” award to support a folk and traditional arts program for the Middleburgh Advantage Afterschool Program. The Middleburgh Advantage Afterschool Program is an afterschool enrichment program spearheaded by the Schoharie River Center in collaboration with the Middleburgh Central School District and funded by a grant from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. This k-12 program provides science, language arts, media arts, and cultural literacy daily to 40-60 Middleburgh Central School students. The Schoharie River Center's Afterschool Arts Program is among 1,248 projects across America totaling $28,840,000 that were selected to receive this first round of fiscal year 2022 funding in the "Grants for Arts Projects" category.

"The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support arts projects like this one from the Schoharie River Center that help support the community's creative economy", said NEA Acting Chair Ann Eilers. The Schoharie River Center, located in the Town of Charleston, Montgomery County, is among the arts organizations nationwide that are using the arts as a source of strength, a path to well-being, and providing access and opportunity for people to connect and find joy in the arts.”

In its second year of Afterschool programming, the Schoharie River Center provides a quality afterschool program with professional staff and educators to provide enrichment activities including filmmaking, hands-on science activities, and art.  In 2021, the program supported an extended residency in Ghanaian drumming and dance with internationally acclaimed musicians Zorkie and Felix Nelson who are continuing their family's legacy. With support from the National Endowment for the Arts, residencies such as this will be offered to all students enrolled in the Middleburgh Advantage Afterschool Program over the next two years of the grant period.  

"The Schoharie River Center provides an invaluable service to the Middleburgh school community through the Middleburgh Advantage Afterschool Program.  This program allows our students to continue their learning through a variety of activities and experiences that support and enhance skills in the areas of academics, problem solving, social-emotional wellbeing, creative expression, and the importance of community, and more! This service relieves some of the stress families may have when struggling to find child care while providing the children with precious moments of fun with friends and learning. We are grateful to be able to collaborate with the Schoharie River Center to offer this all important service to our school community." Jennifer Bellen, Director of Pupil Personal Services for the Middleburgh Central School District.

Since 2000, the Schoharie River Center has offered award-winning environmental and cultural programming in Schoharie, Schenectady, and Montgomery Counties through workshops, summer institutes, and its ongoing Environmental Study Team Program for youth ages 13-19.