HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – The Rockingham Educational Foundation, Inc. (REFI), in partnership with the Rockingham County Public Schools Fine Arts Program, announced the launch of a fundraising campaign aimed at creating the first REFI Fine Arts endowment.

REFI Executive Director Victoria Landis said that in conversations with RCPS Superintendent Larry Shifflett and Fine Arts Supervisor Becky Ford, increased support for the arts in the division was a common topic. The new initiative will provide annual funding to enhance and support the RCPS fine arts program, allowing students to engage more deeply in the arts. Landis said that in creating this endowment, REFI will aim to create a sustainable funding source that will benefit generations of students.

“I’m an artistic kid, so I understand the importance that art is necessary for creativity, collaboration and critical thinking,” Landis said. “It teaches kids a lot of skills that I don’t think everyone always thinks about in terms of art, so I think it’s just exciting for us to have a direct focus, a direct line that goes back into our schools.”

Currently, RCPS offers three key Fine Arts disciplines: art, music and drama. Ford said, however, that to maintain and expand these offerings, additional financial support is crucial. She explained that RCPS currently supports 90 percent of students with school-owned instruments, many of which are decades old. The endowment will help update these instruments and other equipment in all three disciplines.

“We want to make sure that we feel that Rockingham County supports the arts as best we can, but that there is never enough money. It’s just the state of life, and so an endowment will help us ensure that all the arts get what they need,” Ford said. “We are going to have supported funding for theaters to have updated lights and digital programming, for art students to have all the supplies they might need and for music students to have that as well. what they need.”

Landis said that thanks to an anonymous donor, the first $10,000 raised will be matched dollar for dollar. Donations can be made online or by check. Checks can be made payable to REFI with “FAE” in the memo line and mailed to 100 Mt. Clinton Pike, Harrisonburg, VA 22802.

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