ArtSmart

ArtSmart is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of youth in under-resourced communities across the US through tuition-free music lessons and mentorship by paid, professional artists.

Through weekly one-to-one and small-group music mentorship sessions during the school day, the Maria Manetti Shrem Mentors engage student passion, create meaningful relationships, and develop transferable life skills that provide students with a pathway to academic, economic, and emotional stability.

What sets ArtSmart apart is our commitment to providing equitable access to arts education, fostering diversity by engaging under-resourced youth, and breaking barriers to arts education, amplifying voices from all backgrounds. We serve predominantly Title 1 schools in New York, Newark, Jersey City, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle, impacting over 90% of our students, who are largely Black, Indigenous, and people of color, and many come from an English Language Learning background.

ArtSmart’s impact is measurable, with 93% of our students planning to attend college, significantly higher than the national average, and students experiencing a 100% increase in their belief that they are talented, alongside a 59% increase in feeling they have an adult they can talk to when they feel stressed or are having problems.