• 1: Home
• 2: About IPEI
  • 2.1: Vision, Mission, Values
  • 2.2: Board of Directors
  • 2.3: Board Meetings
  • 2.4: Committees
  • 2.5: History
  • 2.6: Report to the Community
  • 2.7: Financial Information
• 3: How You Can Help
  • 3.1: Contribute
  • 3.2: Volunteer
  • 3.3: Collaborate
  • 3.4: Donor Honor Roll
  • 3.5: Corporate Honor Roll
  • 3.6: KDT! Donors
• 4: In the News
• 5: Grants
  • 5.1: Teacher Grants
    • 5.1.1: 2009-2010 Grant Recipients
    • 5.1.2: Application Procedure
  • 5.2: Red & Gold Grants
    • 5.2.1: Red & Gold Grants 2009-2010
    • 5.2.2: Application Form
  • 5.3: Community Collaboration Grants
• 6: Collaborations
  • 6.1: Kids Discover the Trail!
  • 6.2: Roundtable
• 7: Initiatives
• 8: Affiliates
  • 8.1: Fine Arts Booster Group
  • 8.2: Code Red Robotics Team
• 9: Events
• 10: Scholarships and Awards
  • 10.1: Senior Class Gift Fund
  • 10.2: Carol J. Buckley Scholarship
  • 10.3: Ian Alberta Memorial Fund
  • 10.4: Raymond C. Loehr Funds
  • 10.5: Phyllis B. Brodhead Library Media Technology Fund
• 11: Connections
• 12: Contact Us

Community Meets Challenge Match for the Arts – Work Continues

The Fine Arts Booster Group announced that the community has rallied to support arts extra-curricular and co-curricular activities by matching the anonymous challenge donor. With the incentive of $10,000 in matching funds, over $30,000 was raised to restore secondary school activities at Ithaca High School, Boynton and DeWitt Middle Schools, and Lehman Alternative Community School. "With the help of this generous donor, the community rallied in this extraordinarily difficult time. The Boosters established the Arts Alive Fund while believing that these activities will be restored in future budgets. The community responded overwhelmingly recognizing the important role after-school arts activities play in student academic and social development," states Martha Frommelt, president of the Fine Arts Boosters.

Allison Mollenkamp, a rising Ithaca High School ninth grader, noted that "Drama has connected me with a larger world of people in the schools and the community. Without the arts, the schools lose the sense of friendship and connection that comes from the artistic exploration school arts programs allow."

Students will now be able to participate in fall arts activities that are usually offered including pep band, before and after school choirs, jazz band, chamber orchestra and middle school musicals. The high school musicals are the only activities that still need additional funding. Since the high schools musicals take place in the spring, time remains for additional donations and fundraising events. Donate now via IPEI’s web site or visit www.fabgithaca.org.

Fine Arts Booster Group

The Ithaca community Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG) is a program of IPEI. The booster group has its own board of directors and committee structure, but works within IPEI’s not-for-profit structure in order to function as a tax-exempt group. IPEI and FABG partner on community and education goals.

Mission: All the Arts for All the Kids

The Ithaca Community Fine Arts Booster Group's mission is to support the fine and performing arts throughout the Ithaca City School District. This includes creative writing, dance, drama, music, and the visual arts. We strive to foster an appreciation for the arts within the Ithaca City School District and to improve students' learning opportunities in fine and performing arts. Our efforts promote access and equity - increasing arts opportunities for students who are economically disadvantaged or living in homes with limited exposure to the arts. We pursue these goals through fundraising, partnering with area arts organizations, volunteering at school arts events, and raising our voices in support of the arts. Read our annual report as well as a list of FABG minigrant recipients for school year 2009-2010.

Programs and Activities

• Fundraising
• Instrument Recycling
• Playbills for middle and high school
• Advocacy and Communication
• Partnerships with other groups
• Membership
• School liaisons
• Teacher Mini-grants (read our guidelines and download our application form and application cover letter.)

FABG maintains a listserv with information about arts in the schools. To subscribe, send mail to FineArtsBoosters–subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

We Welcome Your Support!

FABG invites everyone to celebrate and support the fine and performing arts in the Ithaca City School District. To tell us of your interest, make an offer to help, or to join FABG, please download and complete our membership card and mail it to us at:

Ithaca Community Fine Arts Booster Group
101 East State Street #182
The Commons
Ithaca, NY 14850

History

FABG was first brought together in May 2000 by Michael Allen, then Cayuga Elementary Band teacher now middle school band teacher, and Holly Kazarinoff, TST BOCES Enrichment Coordinator. Starting with a desire to improve the condition of the elementary school's musical instrument inventory, Mr. Allen soon perceived the need for a music booster group in the community. Dr. Judith Pastel, Superintendant of Schools for the Ithaca City School District, supported the formation of a booster group provided that it include all of the arts. Meetings were held to determine the group's structure, draft bylaws, and form the first board. Patti Nozell served as the first president and IPEI offered to partner with the group to lend its not-for-profit status and administrative strucutre to the group's activities. Deborah O’Connor, then IPEI treasurer, served as the first FABG treasurer.

For more information send email to fabg_president@yahoo.com.