The Heights Center has received an Arts, Community and Culture Community Impact Grant from The Southwest Florida Community Foundation. The grant will allow The Center to develop programs for children and adults to promote opportunities for family and community development by providing various music, art, theatre and dance classes at The Heights Center, which will increase inclusive access to the expressive and cultural arts.
“Part of our mission is to provide the benefits of enrichment and the arts to the Harlem Heights community,” said Kathryn Kelly, President and CEO of The Heights Foundation and The Heights Center. “Learning to create and appreciate the arts is important to the development of both children and adults. We are grateful to The Southwest Florida Community Foundation for helping us provide access to the arts at an affordable price for residents of Harlem Heights and the surrounding communities.”
Classes will take place at the 14,000 square foot community center conveniently located between US 41 and McGregor Boulevard on Gladiolus Drive in Fort Myers. Classes will be taught by instructors experienced in each field. There will be no registration fees and low instruction costs.
Group keyboard lessons for children and adults are beginning soon. Any experience level is invited and evening classes are available. Classes are $15 per week or $60 per month and include one hour of instruction each week, keyboard and materials.
Additional classes in music, art, dance and theatre will be added throughout the year.
The Center is also looking for local artists and musicians interested in teaching classes.
For more information, to enroll or to inquire about teaching positions, contact Melissa Barlow at (239) 482-7706 or melissa@heightsfoundation.org.
The Heights Center is conveniently located at 15570 Hagie Drive in Fort Myers, between McGregor Boulevard and Winkler Road, just off Gladiolus Drive.
About the Heights Foundation and the Heights Center
The Heights Foundation works to build self-sufficient families in the Harlem Heights neighborhood. The mission is to support education and wellness, promote family and community development, and provide the benefits of enrichment and the arts. The Heights Center, supported by The Heights Foundation, is a place for Education, Opportunity, and Enrichment.
Harlem Heights was originally settled as a rural agricultural community. Approximately 780 children live in a mixture of single-family homes and multi-family apartments. Demographically, the population is approximately 70% Hispanic, 20% African-American, and 8% Caucasian. The poverty rate for children in Harlem Heights is more than twice the county average, with family income 40% below the county average. Families are not able to easily access family support services located in downtown Fort Myers, and benefit greatly from programs located within the neighborhood.
