The Freedom Center for Arts & Education
Vision: To advance economic mobility within the Benton Harbor community through encouraging educational pathways stemming from enrichment in Fine Arts and Education.​​
Mission: To provide a haven centered in Fine Arts for Benton Harbor youth. Exposure within the Arts shall serve as a catalyst for advancing literacy, personal expression, and community advocacy for the purpose of uplifting personal achievement throughout the Benton Harbor community.
Problem Stated
Benton Harbor is positioned adjacent to St Joseph. A river separates the two, and amongst this there is a historic racial and economic divide.
The area has a wealth of celebration and heritage in the arts, but the resources for exposing children and families to engaging with all of the present resources have been sequestered to these same racial and socioeconomic barriers. This divide is just as noticeable within education as the high school academic Reading state test pass rates sit at ~3% in Benton Harbor and ~73% in St Joseph.
Proposed Solution
The development of a community center in Benton Harbor is intentional to facilitate a hub of intertwined resource engagement and bridging the worlds through fundamental similarities and celebrating the culture. We intentionally are developing partnerships and collaborations with individuals and organizations from each side of the river that we might use the arts as a conduit for change in ameliorating the quality of life for members of the Benton Harbor Community, and, therefore our communities at large.
Competitive Analysis
Equip Benton Harbor Practitioners to be leaders and mentors in their respective artistic fields
Enrich Berrien County with a resource that increases exposure with breadth of partnership rather than depth of specialization
Digital technologies for creating and modeling art
Execution Plan
Assessment and Program Development
Partnerships and Engagement
CRM, Data, and Communication
Resource Procurement
Impact Measurement
