Arts for the future

Children participate in a session with The Song Room.

Music and arts will help young people in Noble Park to build a brighter future.
The Song Room’s Arts and Connect – Youth Settlement Program will kick off at the Noble Park English Language School.
Coca-Cola Australia Foundation (CCAF) granted more than $374,000 towards the program, designed to brighten the future of disadvantaged young people and refugee youth through music and arts.
The project aims to improve academic and social development outcomes for students to help them engage with education, and enhance their sense of social inclusion and participation in Australian society.
The Song Room CEO Caroline Aebersold said the not-for-profit organisation’s tailored, high-quality music and arts programs were independently proven to help academic performance, school attendance, and social-emotional well-being of young Australians.
“This grant will enable us to reach more than 300 disadvantaged teens around Noble Park in 2017, as well as other similar communities in need around Australia – really allowing us to make a difference,” she said.
Coca-Cola Australia Foundation chair Malcolm Hudson said The Song Room’s work was “truly commendable”.
“We look forward to working closely with them on the roll of the Arts and Connect – Youth Settlement Program over the next three years to see the great work they do first-hand,” he said.