LOUISVILLE, Ky. (September 6, 2017) — The Louisville Water Foundation has approved another grant for Fund for the Arts at its recent board meeting. A pilot program that combined art with science and engineering was started last year with the Foundation’s 2016 grant of $14,850. Administered by Louisville Visual Art (LVA), “Form and Function” involved more than 500 students in 20 fourth-grade classrooms at six elementary schools in 2016. This year’s grant of $30,000 will help Fund for the Arts and LVA continue the program and expand their reach to more classrooms. In addition, all students who are participating will take a field trip to Louisville Water Tower Park, and the students’ families will be invited to a family night at the WaterWorks Museum at Louisville Water Tower Park where they can see their child’s artwork displayed in a gallery setting.
“When we leverage the arts in and out of the classroom, students gain a deeper understanding of core curriculum,” said Christen Boone, Fund for the Arts President & CEO. “We are grateful for the support of the Louisville Water Foundation to help engage hundreds of creative minds across Greater Louisville.”
In “Form and Function,” students learned the history of Louisville’s drinking water and about the Louisville Water Tower, the oldest-standing water tower of its kind in the United States. Each student participated in a five-session class designed to teach history, research, planning, engineering, construction and presentation skills. “It’s a creative and stimulating way for the students to learn about an important part of the community’s history,” said Annette Cable, Education Coordinator at LVA. Students also studied the vision of the original water tower’s architect and created their own tower models.
“This project really opened up a new area – construction – for my students, taught them history about their city and forced them to work together on a project that did not require you to be the best reader,” said Jennifer Yankey, teacher at Eisenhower Elementary. “My students that often don’t do well academically were able to shine, and feel confident on this project.”
Louisville Water Foundation is pleased to contribute again to this worthy and unique program that this year will include more interaction with Louisville Water employees. “We were pleased in how the Fund and LVA connected art and science in the pilot program and we’re excited to offer continued funding so more students can learn the history of Louisville Water and the architecture behind the Louisville Water Tower,” said Spencer Bruce, President of the Louisville Water Foundation. “This year’s program will also include the students working with our engineers and staff at the WaterWorks Museum, adding another real-world connection to the curriculum.”
Louisville Water founded the Louisville Water Foundation 2013 exclusively for charitable, educational and scientific purposes. Specifically, the Foundation promotes public health and identifies water-related needs in the communities Louisville Water serves and around the world. In 2016, 74% of the organizations it supported were doing work in the Louisville area, 14% were initiatives and programs in the United States, and 12% were projects in other countries. The Foundation receives a percentage of its revenue from Louisville Water’s water line protection program. Additional funds come from private donations, MSD and from employees at Louisville Water and MSD during annual pledge drives.
Louisville Water Foundation accepts grant applications year-round from organizations and individuals with projects that address a water related need. Request a grant application packet and review the guidelines at LouisvilleWaterFoundation.org. The Foundation board meets quarterly to approve any recommended awards.
For more information on Louisville Water, visit LouisvilleWater.com, call Kelley Dearing Smith at 502.569.3695, or email Smith at ksmith@lwcky.com. For more information on the Foundation, contact Matthew Griffith at 502.569.3690 or mgriffith@lwcky.com. For more information on the Fund for the Arts, contact Eric Gurevich at 502.582.0132 or ericg@fundforthearts.org.
About Louisville Water Company
Louisville Water provides a safe supply of drinking water to more than one million people in Louisville Metro and parts of Bullitt, Oldham, Nelson, Shelby, Hardin and Spencer counties. On average, the company supplies 115 million gallons of drinking water each day. The company started as Kentucky’s first public water provider on October 16, 1860 and in 2013 was recognized as the “People’s Choice for Best-Tasting Tap Water” by the American Water Works Association.
About Louisville Water Foundation
The Louisville Water Foundation works to improve the health and well-being of the communities Louisville Water serves and around the world by providing water assistance and water education. Established in 2013, the Foundation operates as a separate, independent entity. In 2016, the Foundation provided grants for customer assistance, water initiatives around the world and water-related education efforts in the Louisville region.
About Fund for the Arts
Fund for the Arts is a regional nonprofit with the mission to maximize the arts to drive economic development, education, and quality of life in our community. The Fund conducts one of the oldest united arts campaigns in the country and supports world-class institutions, community organizations and arts in education. Fund for the Arts leads collective action across the arts and cultural sector to deliver greater impact in our community. For more information, visitwww.fundforthearts.org
Fund for the Arts is a regional nonprofit with the mission to maximize the arts to drive economic development, education, and quality of life in our community. The Fund conducts one of the oldest united arts campaigns in the country and supports world-class institutions, community organizations and arts in education. Fund for the Arts leads collective action across the arts and cultural sector to deliver greater impact in our community. For more information, visitwww.fundforthearts.org
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