The Door County Community Foundation recently awarded the Birch Creek Music Performance Center, Inc. a Sustainability Grant from the Arts Fund to support their pilot program, Birch Creek Presents the Janice Borla Vocal Jazz Camp and Concert Series. Through the addition of this new vocal jazz camp and accompanying evening concert series, Birch Creek is reaching new students, faculty and concert going audiences while maintaining their popular instrumental summer sessions.

The Janice Borla vocal jazz camp works with solo jazz vocalists and employs techniques both with and without lyrics. One of the benefits of this new program is that the student age base includes adults.

"Congratulations to Birch Creek on developing this partnership with the Janice Borla Vocal Jazz Camp.   The addition of this new program perfectly complements the quality summer sessions and concerts for which Birch Creek is known," said Arvid Munson, board member of the Door County Community Foundation.

Janice Borla is a recognized pioneer in vocal jazz education. She established the vocal jazz program at the Saskatchewan School of the Arts in Canada and is currently director of vocal jazz at North Central College in Naperville, IL. Borla is an acclaimed recording artist with multiple CDs to her name. You can hear Janice Borla and her rhythm section perform at the Birch Creek benefit concert on Saturday, October 4 in Juniper Hall on the Birch Creek campus.

 
For concert and future educational program information, please visit Birch Creek Music Performance Center, Inc. online or call (920) 868-3763.

The Door County Community Foundation also recently awarded the Door County Master Gardener Association a Sustainability Grant from the Children & Youth Fund to support the Youth Spring Planting Program. This hands-on learning program introduces third and fourth grade students to the importance of homegrown produce. Ancient and current techniques for creating home vegetable gardens are explored resulting in a lifelong appreciation and enthusiasm for working the soil.

Frank Maxwell, board member of the Door County Community Foundation commented, "The success of the Master Gardener's Youth Program is truly a collaborative effort through which our students reap tremendous benefit. The experience of growing produce and learning about environmental sustainability gives them the foundation to make healthy decisions for the rest of their lives."

Six 20 x 20 foot garden beds in The Garden Next Door are dedicated to the Youth Program and are maintained during the growing season by Master Gardener Volunteers. Twenty dedicated Master Gardener volunteers supervise the students and teach the hands-on portions of the program. The staffs from the Peninsular Agricultural Research Station and the International Potato Gene Bank also assist with the educational stations.

For more information regarding their programs and services visit the Door County Master Gardeners online.

These are just a few of the recent Sustainability Grants awarded by the Community Foundation. Visit us online for more information about the Sustainability Grants program. If you'd like more information about how you can incorporate a gift to the Door County community through your estate plans, please do not hesitate to contact us or just call (920) 746-1786. Give today, or give your estate plans. Just remember to Give Door County!