FORT WAYNE, Ind.—The Jesters program at the University of Saint Francis gratefully received a $50,000 grant from AWS Foundation.
The grant will be used to support the general operations of the Jesters, a performing group of people ages 8 and older with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD). Saint Francis has sponsored the Jesters since 1978.
“The Jesters program and the University of Saint Francis are always grateful for AWS Foundation’s grant support. These funds help provide the staff, materials and opportunities needed to provide a quality experience to participants with intellectual/developmental disabilities, their families and the community,” Jesters Director Allison Ballard said.
Registration for the 2023-24 season of Jesters remains open through Sept. 29. The Jesters will meet Saturdays (with holiday break exceptions) from 10 a.m. to noon at the Saint Francis North Campus, 2702 Spring Street. Morning activities include dance/movement, theater/improvisation, storytelling and music (instrumental and voice). Children and adults with IDD are welcome to attend the morning session for a fee of $100. Optional afternoon sessions in visual arts, choir and dance/theater are offered from 1 to 2 p.m. Only those enrolled in the morning program are eligible to attend the afternoon classes.
The Jesters will meet Saturdays through Dec. 2, except for Nov. 25. The program will break for the holidays on Dec. 9, 16, 23 and 30. The program will resume Jan. 6 and continue meeting from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through March 9. The spring performance will be at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 9 and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 10 in the North Campus auditorium.
To request registration forms, contact Saint Francis Creative Arts and Computer Arts & Technology Coordinator Molly McGowan at mmcgowan@sf.edu or 260-399-8064. For more information, contact Jesters Director Allison Ballard at aballard@sf.edu.
The Jesters program is made possible with funding provided by the AWS Foundation, the M.E. Raker Foundation, the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne, the James Foundation, Inc., Foellinger Foundation, Stucky Foundation, Plymouth Benevolence Fund, Arnold Foundation, Mad Anthonys Foundation, the Indiana Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.
About AWS Foundation: Founded in 2007, AWS Foundation supports a wide range of organizations in northeast Indiana working to develop a community in which people with enduring intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities are engaged fully and meaningfully in all aspects of community life. For more information, visit awsfoundation.org.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the College of Health Sciences and the College of Arts, Sciences and Business. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online. USF Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis, recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution, has 18 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships. Approximately 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.