Jackson National Life Insurance Company® recently announced a $10,000 grant to support the Arts Council of Greater Lansing’s Young Creatives Program.

The Young Creatives Program began in 2013 and has five distinct components: a print resource guide highlighting arts opportunities for kids ages K-12; scholarships to children in need who are interested in attending arts programs; an advocacy campaign that brings attention to the importance of the arts in schools, including a youth billboard campaign; and an Artist-in-Residence Program that puts teaching artists in area schools to provide arts education.

“Not only does this program align with the Arts Council’s mission but it also reflects our core values at Jackson, which is committed to investing in our community and enhancing the lives of children in the region,” says Kirk Meadows, senior counsel at Jackson and Arts Council board member. “Supporting local nonprofits is a top priority for Jackson, and we are proud to contribute to such an impactful program that strengthens the arts, our area youth and our region’s economic growth and development.”

Since its inception, Young Creatives has steadily grown, adding more components and serving more youth. The Young Creatives: Artist-sin-Residence Program has increased a number of residencies and student reach by nearly 50 percent in the last year and now includes a roster of 10 teaching artists in four different disciplines. It has also grown the number of student billboards produced and increased advocacy outreach.

“We are so proud of the great success of this program,” says Deborah E. Mikula, Arts Council executive director. “It offers so many resources that support and highlight the amazing young creatives across the Lansing Region and has really helped to revitalize arts programming for the Lansing School District who have been great collaborators in all areas of this program.”

To learn more about the Young Creatives Program, visit www.lansingarts.org or contact Debbie Mikula, Arts Council program director.