Hope Academy Hits Record-Breaking
Registration Levels
Linda Addlespurger, Director
Hope Academy of Music and the Arts had a
record-breaking 340 course registrations for the fall term, filling
every course weeks before the first day of classes and creating the need
to hire additional teaching artists. Yet, even with additional teaching
staff, many children had to be turned away; and so we are already
planning to expand a bit for the winter term, which begins in February.
Our Wednesday Connection classes, in
partnership with ELPC’s Youth and Young Adult Committee and Taizé Sung
Prayers Worship, opened with over 70 course registrations. Kids and
teens, along with their families, gathered for free Hope Academy
classes, healthy snacks, games, homework help and a simple soup and
bread meal. Many of the teenagers stayed on for club one sixteen dinner
and Bible study. It was exciting to be able to reach out to children and
families in our community and to welcome so many new people into our
ELPC family. The early and immediate success of this program speaks to
the amazing things we can accomplish when we work together.
Whole Foods Market is sponsoring our
“Voices of Hope” vocal ensembles and will be providing the healthy
snacks for our Wednesday Connection program. This is a great example of
how Whole Foods Market strives to give back in meaningful ways to the
communities it serves. We are grateful to Whole Foods Market and
especially to Kim Wynnyckyj for their participation.
If you are interested in becoming part of
our outreach efforts and helping us to continue to grow, we would be
thankful for your donation; 100 percent will go directly to hiring
additional teaching artists, purchasing materials and providing meals.
In this way, you can help to make the arts affordable, accessible and
not a matter of privilege for the children and youth in our community.
Please make your check out to East Liberty Presbyterian Church and put
“Wednesday Connection” on the memo line. For more information, call
Norma Meyer at 412-441-3800, ext. 11.
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