LIFT student in a drawing workshop
LIFT student in art workshop
LIFT student in photography workshop
LIFT student learning to sew
LIFT Youth Center was awarded an Arts Education Program Grant from Georgia Council for the Arts, a strategic arm of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, for fiscal year 2026. The Arts Education Program Grant supports arts programs for K-12 students and helps fund programs from visual arts to music or theater, to dance and creative writing. As part of this year’s Arts Education Program awards, 28 entities in 15 counties will receive more than $122,000 in funding.
“These grant dollars are vital funding that contribute to a well-rounded education for our students and aid in the development of a problem-solving, creative workforce,” said Georgia Council for the Arts Director Tina Lilly.
“Georgia Council for the Arts is excited to help our arts communities foster educational opportunities for young people, and we are grateful to the Georgia General Assembly for providing this support.”
Georgia Council for the Arts received applications from nonprofit organizations, government entities, public libraries, schools, and colleges and universities delivering arts programs to K-12 students. Arts education programs receiving funding include afterschool and summer arts programs, arts integration and STEAM programs, and teaching artist residencies.
LIFT Youth Center is a nonprofit that offers a free afterschool youth center to middle and high school students living in Catoosa County. Currently operating in Ringgold and entering its fifth year of service, LIFT is preparing to open a second location in Fort Oglethorpe. In past years, the organization has served between 350 and 400 students annually. With the addition of the new facility, LIFT anticipates serving nearly 600 students during the 2025–2026 school year—expanding its reach and deepening its impact across the county.
To learn more about LIFT Youth Center, visit www.LIFTyouthcenter.org.
Officials said, "The Arts Education Program Grant will allow LIFT to improve their LIFT Art Lab, free art workshops that occur as part of their afterschool programming. The program will offer a broad range of artistic techniques, including 2D art forms such as drawing, painting, oil pastels and collage. In addition, students will be encouraged to explore 3D materials such as paper mâché, origami and photography.
"Throughout the year, the curriculum will focus on four key areas: creating, presenting, connecting and responding. Students will not only develop hands-on skills but also gain insight into how art connects to the world around them, cultivating both technical proficiency and creative problem-solving abilities."
Chrissie Brown, LIFT’s marketing and development director, said, “We are incredibly grateful to have been awarded the Arts Education Program Grant from Georgia Council for the Arts. It will help our organization empower students through our free afterschool art workshops giving them the chance to develop critical life skills, technical expertise and creative expression, all while inspiring them to explore their potential beyond the classroom.”
Funding for these grants is provided through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) uses Peer Review Panels to judge and review applications following standard practices set by the National Endowment for the Arts. Panelists are GCA Council members and fellow professionals who are experienced in the arts discipline or type of grant being reviewed, or are citizens with a record of arts activities, experience and knowledge, officials said.