The region is filled with organizations that offer art, music and performance education and practice to local kids. Many of these organizations require that parents pay for their children to participate, however, last year, a group of several institutions collaborated on creating a program that would offer these things to kids whose families could not afford to pay for extra classes. This is how UNIVERSO was born.
UNIVERSO is an afterschool program offered to elementary-aged students in East Chicago. The program teaches students about art, music, dance and spoken word and allows them to practice skills and perform them in front of an audience. Thanks to the organizations involved in the collaboration behind UNIVERSO, students can participate in UNIVERSO without their parents paying anything. Learn a little bit more about some of these organizations below.
South Shore Arts: This organization partners with schools, recreational departments and other groups to help bring art and art education to kids everywhere through their Everykid program. South Shore Arts also offers traditional paid art classes for artists of all ages at their three locations.
South Shore Dance Alliance: This is a competitive dance school that allows young dancers to develop their skills, compete on national stages and get noticed by college and professional scouts. South Shore Dance Alliance also grants many of their students scholarships and sponsors many dance outreach programs.
Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra: This organization is a premier musical group in Northwest Indiana. They offer the traditional orchestra as well as a youth program. The Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra also participates in several outreach initiatives bringing classical music to everyone.
For more information on UNIVERSO and the organizations that started it, visit foundationsec.org.
