The California Arts Council recently awarded an Arts Education grant of $15,300 to the Foundation for the Performing Arts Center and Cal Poly Arts. The grant will be used to support the School Matinee Program and Poly Arts for Youth.

The School Matinee Program and Poly Arts for Youth focus on bringing San Luis Obispo County students to free Performing Arts Center performances. More than 50 percent of these students attend Title I designated schools, which primarily serve students from low-income households with little or no access to the arts.

Poly Arts for Youth, Cal Poly Arts' education enrichment program, enables performers to engage directly with students in their classrooms and auditoriums, lead master classes, and hold community workshops, according to Steve Lerian, director for Cal Poly Arts.

"We are very proud to partner with the foundation for this grant," Lerian said. "Both of our organizations want to ensure that no student is ever turned away from the arts." Δ