In 2019, the Kelson Foundation awarded Girls Garage a $50,000 general support grant. We’re proud to announce that the Kelson Foundation has renewed their support with a $50,000 general support grant for 2020-2021. This unrestricted award supports our free year-round design/build programs for teens and expands our arts programming through the funding of our RISO printer, which our teens artists regularly use.

Rooted in the legacy of “activist art”, our arts programming offers after-school classes for teen girls and gender-expansive youth. Through screen printing, printmaking, and risograph art, girls explore and express the complex personal and political issues impacting their daily lives. Within our arts program, 89% of our participants identify as womxn of color and 73% are from low-income households.

Additionally, the Kelson award enables us to develop our intensive design/build programs, where girls harness carpentry, architecture, welding, and engineering skills to create projects in response to our community partners’ needs. As with all Girls Garage teen programming, these programs are free for high school students.

Jake Moritz of the Kelson Foundation reports, “The team at Girls Garage have put together fantastic programs that cater not just to teaching young women life skills, but helping them identify and pursue their own goals. I’m proud and happy to provide Girls Garage with ongoing unrestricted support as they expand their programming to reach more women in trying times.”

We’re grateful for the Kelson Foundation’s continual support of our organization. With their generosity, we’re able to offer robust and intensive programming for our fearless builder girls. Whether they’re building a parklet or creating posters for social justice, our girls are standing up, speaking out, and building the world they want to see.

We are so appreciative of support from the Kelson Foundation!