United Way Funds
After-School Enrichment Program

The Music and Arts Center For Humanity (MACH) and Fairfield’s McKinley School have been awarded a $25,000 grant from United Way of Eastern Fairfield County. The grant funds an intensive after-school arts enrichment program for students in grades 2, 3, and 4.

Dr. Dale Bernardoni, the principal of McKinley School, announced that approximately forty-five students will participate in the after-school program, which currently consists of African drumming, creative movement, and cartooning. She noted, “The students are enthusiastic about their participation.” MACH staff will work closely with McKinley teachers to fully integrate music, visual arts, theater, and creative writing into the current classroom curriculum. Two additional days will be added to their school calendar in order to provide a more intensive arts experience. The $25,000 grant also funds MACH Saturday sessions, centered on a visual and performing arts curriculum for 20 special needs children.

The MACH/McKinley initiative is a pilot program that correlates arts education with achievement in traditional school subjects. Research demonstrates that participation in the arts supports students’ critical thinking skills, such as problem solving, elaboration, focused perception, and creativity. United Way of Eastern Fairfield County President & CEO Merle Berke-Schlessel, Esq., expressed her delight about the prospects of the new program. “McKinley students in this unique MACH project are being given the opportunity to extend their daily educational activities with complementary ones that enrich their entire educational experience. Programs like this help ensure that our students succeed in school and graduate college ready – the aim of United Way’s Operation Graduation initiative.”