Two densely-scheduled days this November marked the fruition of a collaborative project two years in the making, designed by Gateway to the Arts and the School of Music at Carnegie Mellon University. The goal was to assist the graduate chamber music ensembles at CMU in developing dynamic outreach programs for public school students grades K-12. Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, project coordinators Lisa Hoitsma of Gateway and Dr. Natalie Ozeas of CMU enlisted the expertise of the Grammy-nominated African-American woodwind quintet, Imani Winds, known world-wide for their high-quality outreach programming that focuses on excellent musicianship, audience participation and repertoire.

Gateway to the Arts is working with the Pittsburgh Public Schools' Early Childhood Education Early Intervention (EI) Program staff to design and develop a series of arts-based play groups for young children with special needs. These play groups will be designed to support children transitioning into an educational setting. Early Intervention staff is assisting in professional development opportunities for Gateway artists to learn how best to provide visual and performing arts experiences in the EI Classrooms. 

Now in its third year, PittsburghGives Day of Giving is a virtual charitable giving extravaganza!

From 12:00 am on October 4, 2011 to 11:59:59 pm all donations made at PittsburghGives.org to Gateway to the Arts and other area nonprofits will receive a pro-rated match donation from a pool more than $500,000.

Check out Gateway to the Arts profile here.