Grant helps remove barriers to Arts and Educational opportunities for Midland students

For many schools and families, transportation costs and program fees can stand in the way of educational experiences outside the classroom. Midland Center for the Arts is working to address those barriers through transportation grants and tuition scholarships, supported by a newly awarded $6,500 grant from the Service Club Alliance, an initiative of the Midland Area Community Foundation.

The request was fully funded with support from the Midland Kiwanis Foundation, Midland Noon Rotary and Midland Rotary Foundation. The award includes $2,400 to support the Center’s transportation grant program and $4,100 to support Midland Center for the Arts’ Arts and Education Scholarship Fund, which provides tuition and admission assistance for classes, camps, performances and educational programs.

Midland Center for the Arts provides students, schools, youth and families with creative learning opportunities through classroom visits, field trips, performances, workshops, classes and camps. These experiences connect students with the arts, STEM, history and hands-on exploration while supporting classroom learning and encouraging curiosity, creativity and engagement.

“At Midland Center for the Arts, we believe creativity and learning should be within reach for every student,” says Matt Travis, President and CEO of Midland Center for the Arts. “Transportation is the single largest barrier preventing many schools from attending field trips, and tuition costs can also prevent students and families from participating in classes, camps and performances. This support helps remove those barriers and connects more young people with experiences that build confidence, curiosity and a deeper sense of possibility.”

Through the Center’s transportation grant program, schools may receive need- and distance-based support to help offset transportation costs. The Arts and Education Scholarship Fund helps make camps, classes, performances and other educational opportunities more accessible for youth and families.

Student participation at Midland Center for the Arts continues to grow. The Center served 11,066 students in their 2024 fiscal year, 13,784 students in 2025 and nearly 14,000 students in 2026 to date. Demand is expected to increase with the reopening of the Center’s reimagined Museum and the Hall of Ideas in fall 2026, along with expanded opportunities for field trips, hands-on learning and family engagement.

The Service Club Alliance is a partnership between Midland area service clubs that coordinates efforts and simplifies grantmaking for community organizations. The Alliance simplifies the grant process by using a joint application for applicants who provide support for Midland County residents. The Service Club Alliance is not responsible, as an organization, for the grantmaking made by any of its participants. It is merely the convener of this process. Each service club is responsible for their individual grantmaking efforts.

To learn more about the Service Club Alliance, and to review the application process, please visit online.