Arts Grant and CLI Action Grant Awarded

Congratulations to Public School 2 and the Hillside North Neighborhood Association ("The Hill") on the awarding of two grants!  Project applications earned $2,500 and $2,000 respectively!

School 2's "Artists in Schools" Grant will fund a student-based, co-curricular "Paint the Boards" art project in collaboration with TRIP and The Hill.  Sixth grade students and teachers will work with local artist Marcus Kwame Anderson to create large, painted boards that will be installed over the plywood currently covering windows of vacant buildings in the neighborhood.

Combining art and social studies, the pieces will focus on a theme of the Underground Railroad and the rich history it has here in Troy.  Finally, once the project is completed, the sixth graders will lead the younger students on a walking tour of the paintings installed in the neighborhood fostering greater public speaking skills and civic pride.

If you are curious to see Mr. Anderson's work please visit his website: http://www.marcuskwame.com/

Further enlivening the Hillside North Neighborhood, the Community Leadership Institute (CLI) Action Grant that TRIP applied for on behalf of the neighborhood's plan has been awarded!  The plan was created by The Hill's leaders while attending a national CLI conference with TRIP last fall.  These funds, provided by NeighborWorks America, will support the Cleaner and Greener Campaign currently underway.

In an effort to beautify the neighborhood and educate residents about environmental issues, The Hill is working on projects to promote recycling and discourage littering.  Street clean-ups have been happening, and will continue, at least once a month.  Additionally, the group intends to add public trash cans along the sidewalks to increase people's use of them as they walk in order to reduce littering.  Other community projects will include: neighborhood flower plantings, a mural at School 2, and continued educational programs about healthy homes and neighborhoods.

Congratulations again to everyone involved!  We are so excited to work with you on these projects and can't wait to see the beautiful results!