The Children's Museum of Indianapolis partners with the Indianapolis Police Department to help eliminate crime in the neighborhood. Additionally, the museum provides low-cost admission to more than 17,500 at-risk families and offers reduced admission to more than more than 59,000 students each year
The Indianapolis Art Center provides year-round community-based arts education programs to more than 550 youth ages 5-18 through the ArtReach program and the SMART program, a collaboration with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana
Dance Kaleidoscope, in collaboration with the Indianapolis Juvenile Correctional Facility, works with female inmates to write, tell, and dance their personal stories to create "positive forms of expression" as a deterrent to future negative behavior
The Indiana Repertory Theatre through its Overcoming Barriers program connects artists with Marion County schools for in-classroom programs examining tolerance and conflict resolution to more than 900 students annually
Young Audiences of Indiana provides arts programming including the Summer Arts for Youth program, the ArtsKids after school program and the Inside Arts program at the city's Juvenile Detention Center to more than 4,348 of the most at-risk youth in our community
The Madame Walker Theatre Center reaches more than 5,570 youth ages 5-13 through after school and summer programs providing arts exposure and training opportunities
Clowes Memorial Hall reaches more than 50,000 students annually via low-cost matinees, including more than 16,000 students and teachers from Title I (predominantly at-risk population) schools from 188 Marion County schools
The Metropolitan Youth Orchestra provides low-cost classical musical instruction to over 100 Indianapolis children and parents that helps to create and strengthen familial relationships and bonds
Art with a Heart serves more than 1,200 children in area schools, community centers, and safe havens through visual art instruction, adult mentoring, and arts-integrated academic programs
The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) reaches more than 100,000 children in central Indiana via diverse educational programs that help improve academic performance and build self esteem
Freetown Village offers programs on African-American history and culture to more than 5,250 youth through a year-round children's ensemble afterschool program and a nine-week summer day camp
InterAction Theatre creates interactive performances for 10,915 students annually in correctional facilities, domestic violence shelters and high schools on topics such as relationship violence, justice, substance abuse, and conflict resolution
The Indianapolis Museum of Art's VIEWFINDERS program reaches every third grade student in Indianapolis Public Schools and is applied at all grade levels in four Washington Township elementary schools. VIEWFINDERS utilizes the well-researched Visual Thinking Strategies image curriculum to stimulate discussion, thereby fostering self-expression, language, critical thinking, observation and other cognitive skills.
These are just a few highlights of the many arts programs and activities making a difference in Indianapolis.
If your arts organization is not listed and you have a specific example of the ways you're making a difference in Indianapolis, please send it to artsinfo@indyarts.org.