CHEYENNE, WY, February 02, 2012
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Today, The Alternative Arts Project, a non-profit with the mission of changing the lives of youth by providing access to arts and music, opened in Cheyenne.
Founded by Renee and Jon Jelinek in response to a community need and the positive effect that music has had on their son, the Alternative Arts Project is a free after-school program that uses music to engage and enlighten young minds. The program provides musical instruments, instruction, music sharing and access to local concerts for participants.
From the research The Alternative Arts Project has conducted, they discovered that middle and high school students who participated in music scored significantly higher on standardized tests than students who were not involved in music. Also, students involved in music are most likely to graduate from college and have less disciplinary problems.
"After seeing what a difference music has made in our child's life, we wanted to create something that gives that opportunity to every child," said Renee Jelinek. "Millions of dollars are spent on sports programs, but if you're not into sports, what options do you have? We want to give those kids access to something that can be powerful. A lot of kids need something positive like this in their lives. We want to help change the world, one kid, and one guitar at a time."
An informational event will be held to educate students on the program on Feb. 8 at McCormick Junior High School. The first program will officially begin Feb. 13 at McCormick Junior High School. The classes will be held weekly and include free guitar use, lessons and music sharing.
The Alternative Arts Project has worked with local companies such as Niemann and Sons Music and Plato's Closet to collect guitars and donations. Instructors, including Taylor Scott from Another Kind of Magick, will donate their time to teach music. To donate or for information on how you can get involved, please visit http://alternativeartsproject.org.
About The Alternative Arts Project
The Alternative Arts Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit (status pending) based in Cheyenne, Wyo. with the goal of raising awareness about the importance of music and art in local youth. The program strives to change the lives of youth by providing positive experience and knowledge that lasts a lifetime. To achieve this, they provide access to musical instruments and instruction, encourage youth with a positive environment that develops self-esteem, and develop programs on theatre, photography, filmmaking, fashion design and other nontraditional art forms. More information is available at http://alternativeartsproject.org or on the Alternative Arts Project Facebook page.
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