FINE ARTS, SPORTS & ATHLETICS

Our Goal ~ To support the participation of children and youth in foster care in fine arts lessons and performance or athletic training and team sports.

There is great support around the benefits of self-discovery, inner focus and interdisciplinary studies for children. A student of ballet since she was an eight-year-old foster child, Ms. Rowell personally understands the foundation of fine arts training. The structure, support and encouragement found in the professional curriculum of the performing arts are a significant counterpoint to the instability and emotional upheaval in a foster child's life.

Playing the piano, singing a solo or perfecting a pirouette instills a strong sense of confidence that transcends the loss of control many foster children feel in the home and even in the classroom. Accomplishments, in fine arts and performance, condition children for future challenges and show how to achieve by merit.

Likewise, athletics and sports programs for foster youth open the door to the fundamental force of discipline and determination. Golf, tennis, martial arts and more, provides the framework for young people to develop their skills, discover their talents and perform on their own accord. Team sports go even further to teach and practice the requirements for good sportsmanship, teamwork, and personal persistence. Athletic training offers children a safe haven to test their physical abilities. The focus also can transport them from what is often a home life battlefield to a sports center playing field.

In addition to funding lessons, training, and coaching, RFCPP provides students with necessary materials and in some cases transportation. RFCPP also reinforces the dedication to practice, by planning excursions to cultural and sporting events.

Factoring in each child's natural ability, age and level of interest, coupled with management of the arts and athletics program, and ensuring that each young person is prepared for lessons, performances and activities is a challenge that RFCPP continues to handle with savvy. We invite you to join our efforts.