​The Grand Forks Public Schools Summer Performing Arts Company (SPA) has just completed its 37th season. 1,153 area students participated in SPA this summer – a record-breaking year of enrollment.

SPA offers various Fine Arts programs for students of all ages and abilities. Programs vary in length and curriculum depending on the age group, and all culminate in a performance opportunity.

• Pre-K and Elementary students participate in a workshop of creative dramatics, theatre games, and movement exercises.
• Middle School students have a workshop-style program that focuses on drama, movement, and vocal music.
• High School students work on stage and behind the scenes on main stage musical productions.
• Bands on the Red is a three-week band program that focuses on lighter music like movie themes, show tunes, and marches.
• MySPA is an Arts opportunity developed for students with special needs or challenges. It focuses on a variety of creative expression including drama, music, movement, literature and visual arts.
• SPA provides guest artists in various disciplines to work with Multilingual students taking Summer School. In addition, vocal and instrumental lessons are offered as well.  

Our High School mainstage productions this summer were “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Grease”. We were fortunate to have full houses for all of our performances, and we are grateful for the community support.

Because SPA has gained so much community support through the years, we feel it is important to give back to the community that is so generous to us. This summer, we hosted a spare change drive to benefit the Grand Forks Foundation for Education Giving Tree and the Santa Claus Girls – two programs that help many area children and students. The Giving Tree helps Grand Forks Public Schools students and their families by providing a pantry stocked with critical items such as personal care products, essential household items, school supplies, snacks, and more. The Santa Claus Girls provide a gift bag that includes a toy, candy, reading book, coloring book/crayons, toothbrush and toothpaste, hat, gloves, and socks to children aged 12 and under from low-income families during the holiday season.

One of the greatest accomplishments of the SPA program is that no student has ever been turned away from participation due to financial hardship. Because of private donations and grant programs such as those offered through the Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks, and Region, we were able to assist 110 students this summer. Post-COVID, the requests for assistance have steadily increased. The number of extreme hardship cases has increased as well. Though Arts education is the primary focus of the program, we recognize the importance of providing a safe and positive environment for our students.  In some cases, SPA may be one of the only safe spaces some students may encounter outside of the school year. Supporting all students’ mental health and social well-being is critical.
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All in all, 2024 was a tremendous season for SPA. We thank everyone for their continued support to ensure that all of our students shine brightly on stage and behind the scenes.

​GE Foundation today announced a $100,000 COVID-19 Community Response Grant to the Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks & Region, which will support the Grand Forks Public Schools “Smart Restart” initiative. The grant will help the district offer students the opportunity to choose face-to-face or remote learning options for the 2020/2021 academic year.
 
The grant will allow 18 schools in the community to retrofit their spaces to better meet COVID-19 safety standards such as providing access to personal protective equipment (PPE), protective barriers, and sanitizing supplies. The grant will also provide funds to help students access distance learning classes and support professional development for educators as they shift to more online teaching.
 
“The greatest gift we can give our country is educating our future,” said Dr. Terry Brenner, Superintendent, Grand Forks Public Schools. “Within the COVID-19 pandemic framework, we have been faced with enormous financial challenges beyond our budget’s capacity.  Through the generosity of the GE Foundation, specifically to the sum of $100,000, we will be financially better positioned to absorb the extraordinary costs of personal protection equipment for students and staff, thereby continuing to focus general fund dollars on teaching and learning.  In public education, there is no such thing as a 'windfall' of revenue.  The GE Foundation just changed that. This surprise announcement is exhilarating and will benefit 7,500 students and 1,500 colleagues in the Grand Forks Public School District.  On behalf of all district stakeholders and the entire community of Grand Forks, we are grateful.”
 
“The Foundation has worked tirelessly to support the people of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks and the surrounding region. We have partnered with many community leaders to determine our greatest needs and where we could make a significant impact to overcome the many challenges associated with COVID-19,” said Becca Baumbach, Executive Director, Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks & Region. “We learned that preparing for a safe return to school is a top priority for our community, and we're delighted to have the compassion, connection, and support of the GE Foundation. Through this collective effort, we know we will overcome many of the immediate challenges facing our schools and neighbors, and we fully believe in the strength and resolve of the students, their teachers, and the school staff across our region.”
 
"The entire GE family has come together to support COVID-19 response efforts around the globe," said Linda Boff, President, GE Foundation, and Vice President for GE. "We’re proud to be part of the Grand Forks community and are pleased to provide these critical funds to ensure the safe reopening of public schools for students and staff."
 
LM Wind Power Grand Forks Plant Director Tom Leighton-Haggy said, “LM Wind Power has worked to be a good corporate citizen during our twenty years as a major employer in the Grand Forks community.  On behalf of our employees, we are proud to partner with the Grand Forks Community Foundation to support this important initiative as part of a community-wide effort to address the impact of this global pandemic.”
 
GE and GE Foundation are supporting the fight against COVID-19 worldwide. For example, GE Foundation pledged financial support to the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and Boston Resiliency Fund and contributed to disaster-relief organization Americares to deliver 1.4 million protective masks to healthcare workers across the U.S. Learn more at www.ge.com/about-us/covid-19.
 
About Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks & Region
The Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks & Region is a nonprofit, community foundation created by and for the people of the region to encourage a spirit of philanthropy. Working in partnership with individuals, families, businesses, and trusted advisers, the Community Foundation manages charitable funds and provides grants to qualified nonprofit organizations and causes. The Foundation has over $12 million in assets and has granted over $7 million to create stronger, more vibrant communities within the region. Learn more at www.gofoundation.org.
 
About GE Foundation
GE Foundation, the philanthropic organization of GE, is committed to transforming our communities and shaping the diverse workforce of tomorrow by leveraging the power of GE. GE Foundation is developing skills by bringing innovative learning in community health globally and STEM education, scaling what works, and building sustainable solutions. GE Foundation is inspiring others to act by connecting GE people with communities through matching gifts, leading on emerging issues such as the opiate crisis, and convening community leaders to maximize our impact. Learn more at www.gefoundation.com or follow the us on Twitter at @GE_Foundation.
 
About LM Wind Power
LM Wind Power, a GE Renewable Energy business, is a world leading designer and manufacturer of rotor blades for wind turbines, with a global manufacturing footprint that includes blade factories in Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, India, Poland, Spain, Turkey and the United States, as well as technology centers in Denmark, The Netherlands, India, the US and UK. The company has produced more than 228,000 blades since 1978, corresponding to more than 113 GW installed capacity and global savings of 242 million metric tons of CO2 annually. In 2018, LM Wind Power became the first carbon neutral business in the wind industry. Follow us at www.lmwindpower.com, on www.linkedin.com/company/lm-wind-power, or on www.twitter.com/LMWindPower.
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