The BIPOC Student Fund by Black Arts Therapies Educators

The BIPOC Student Fund by Black Arts Therapies Educators exists to provide greater access and support for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color who are enrolled in creative arts therapies programs. As many colleges move to remote-learning and online platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic, this fund will provide much needed relief for BIPOC students who need to purchase laptops, tablets, art supplies, instruments, and books or cover the costs of basic necessities while completing their undergraduate or graduate coursework.
This fund is initiated by a group of Black arts therapies educators and scholars. Our experiences have shown that BIPOC students are increasingly likely to delay their studies due to illness, economic hardship, lack of a supportive network, loss and trauma. In addition to the hardships that many students in higher education endure, BIPOC students experience racism at their various academic institutions, professional associations and internships. These factors can negatively impact a student's motivation and mental health, and lead to fewer BIPOC mental health professionals, in particular those who specialize in using art in psychotherapy. We have created this fund to remind BIPOC students of the supportive community around them.
Help provide immediate need-based-aid and begin to build more resources for BIPOC students. We affirm and support all BIPOC students, including those who identify as trans, disabled, queer, or have marginalized religious identities or lived experiences as first generation college students. We welcome contributions from individuals, small groups, larger organizations and institutions.
Applications for emergency funds will open as soon as the first $2,500 becomes available through this campaign, and a new round of funding will begin at the second benchmark of funding, $5000 and so on. Our goal is to award the first round of small grants to several students from each discipline, dance-movement therapy, drama-therapy, music therapy, art therapy, and expressive arts therapy, during the Fall 2020 academic term. Your donation will provide funding to BIPOC students who need financial resources immediately to continue their education
Please vist the website arttherapystudies.com and give through our gofundme account (gf.me/u/yfk957).
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