Urban Gateways

Urban Gateways engages young people in arts experiences to inspire creativity and impact social change. Programs include the Teen Arts Pass (TAP), which provides teens with low-cost tickets to live performances; Street Level Media Center, which gives young people access to state-of-the-art digital media resources; and the Arts Healing Trauma program, which encourages emotional healing through the production of art. This award provides general operating support to Urban Gateways as part of the Foundation’s Culture, Equity, and the Arts program.

Urban Gateways is the largest provider of arts education in Chicago. It offers in-school and after-school programs in music, dance, theater, literary arts, visual arts, and digital media to more than 65,000 youth in grades pre-K through 12, their teachers, families, and communities each year. This grant supports critical operational needs such as artist and instructor salaries, program supplies, and staff and facility costs.

This grant provides renewed general operating support to Urban Gateways, the largest arts education provider in Chicago. Founded in 1961, its goal is to stimulate the full creative potential of all young people, recognizing that the arts are an important tool in achieving academic and personal development. Urban Gateways delivers arts education to more than 80,000 youth, teachers and parents each year. It provides programs in the literary, performing, and visual arts in public and non-public elementary and high schools, park districts, public libraries, colleges, and community organizations. The majority (71%) of its work occurs within Chicago. Ninety percent of its work is school-based.

To support a two-way exchange with community arts educators and programs in Tanzania.

In support of general operations (over three years).