It is Giving Tuesday. There are a lot of worthy non-profits in our community struggling to feed, house, educate, advocate, and enrich the lives of folks in the area. One of those programs is Walpole Art After School, an independent nonprofit art enrichment program for kids in first through sixth grades. We’re in our tenth year of encouraging imaginations and building community. Over two dozen kids are registered this semester. Walpole Art After School makes it possible for the kids to learn how to live with diversity, collaborate with others, and problem solve, as well as giving them the opportunity to create masterpieces and have fun.

This tenth year presents Walpole Art After School with challenges and opportunities. We have never charged tuition because we don’t want to turn a child away or have a program that is available only to those with financial means. For several years, Walpole Art After School was the beneficiary of a very generous grant that funded two-thirds of the annual costs. The grant has concluded due to the death of the donor. At the same time, we are growing and there is interest in starting a second weekly session that will target older kids and offer more intensive art instruction. The cost per student for a semester is $200, which is equivalent to about $6.50 an hour. This great program is a bargain and is one of the activities that makes Walpole so attractive to families.

On this Giving Tuesday, please consider sponsoring a young artist with a donation to Walpole Art After School, P.O. Box 179, Walpole, NH. For more information, contact Susan Kershaw, Executive Director, info@walpoleartafterschool.org. To see photos of the program activities, check out our website: www.walpoleartafterschool.org.