Wallace Foundation Grant to Fund Charlotte Study of Youth Arts Programs
An interdisciplinary team of six UNC Charlotte researchers and three local youth arts organizations has received a $500,000 grant from The Wallace Foundation to support an in-depth study of the impacts of arts engagement on youth participants, their families and those who provide the arts programming.
Over the course of two and half years, the team will examine programs offered by Black Girls Film Camp, Lorien Arts and The Arts Empowerment Project to understand how community-based arts programs influence youth outcomes, assessing indicators of wellbeing such as mental and emotional health, self-efficacy, sense of belonging, civic engagement and social capital. In addition, the study will consider impacts on the teachers and mentors who provide the arts programming to youth and on parents/guardians of participants: Is there a positive influence on their sense of community, their civic engagement, or their own participation in the arts?
A growing body of international research demonstrates the benefits of arts participation for individual and community health and wellbeing. Despite the evidence, however, the role of artists and arts organizations in fostering individual and community wellbeing is often devalued or overlooked altogether. This local study will build upon existing data to address gaps in knowledge and better understand the mechanisms and conditions under which youth arts programs enhance the wellbeing of individuals and communities. Resulting reports will not only advance the research linking arts participation to broader outcomes but will also generate practical insights for youth arts programs in Charlotte and beyond.
“We are excited to receive this generous support from The Wallace Foundation,” said Jennifer Troyer, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at UNC Charlotte. “It highlights how our research mission embraces creative inquiry as essential to understanding and improving lives. We are proud of our faculty, whose interdisciplinary research not only advances academic knowledge but also strengthens the cultural and civic fabric of Charlotte.”
Directed by Associate Professor of Sociology Vaughn Schmutz, lead principal investigator, the university cohort represents three colleges and includes Assistant Professor of Counseling Dania Fakhro; Professor of English Janaka Lewis, associate dean in the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences; Associate Professor of Theatre Education Beth Murray; Professor of Political Science and Public Administration Jaclyn Piatak; and Meg Whalen, director of communications and external relations for the College of Arts + Architecture.
The project will begin in January 2026 and continue through July 2028, allowing for data collection over multiple academic semesters. The research will add to previous UNC Charlotte studies of local artists and arts organizations funded by Gambrell Faculty Fellowships and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the City of Charlotte Opportunity Fund.
About The Wallace Foundation
The Wallace Foundation is an independent, nonpartisan research foundation, with a mission to help all communities build a more vibrant and just future by fostering advances in the arts, education leadership, and youth development. Wallace collaborates with grantees and research partners to design and test innovative approaches to address pressing problems in those fields. The evidence-based insights shared – searchable online and free of charge—support policymakers and practitioners in their efforts to improve outcomes, enhance community vitality, and help all people reach their full potential.
About Black Girls Film Camp
Black Girls Film Camp (USA) provides a free hybrid 16-week camp where high school girls across the country pitch a story idea, and ten finalists are selected to have their short film project produced by the program. Participants receive free cameras and tech equipment, free software, their own professional production team of exemplary creatives (editor, production coach, cinematographer, and an alumni coach) contracted out by the camp, an all-expense paid weekend retreat in Los Angeles, and free workshops from award-winning filmmakers and scholars. Films created by the teen girls and their production teams are showcased in Charlotte during Black Girls Film Camp Premiere Weekend and at film festivals, colleges/universities and community events worldwide.
About Lorien Arts
Lorien Arts creates access to arts for under-resourced youth in order to provide opportunities to discover and develop artistic interests. Lorien Arts accomplishes its mission through two tiers of programming: Relationship-Driven Mentorship and Sustained Student Success. Relationship-Driven Mentorship occurs through arts-based fellowships at Title 1 high schools, in which small cohorts of students are led by mentor-artists. The Sustained Student Success program focuses on support for students after they’ve graduated high school, beginning by helping students plan and prepare for post-high school graduation and maintaining networks of support for them once they have graduated.
About The Arts Empowerment Project
Founded in 2011, The Arts Empowerment Project (TAEP) provides trauma-informed arts programming, enrichment opportunities, and social-emotional development for children and teens who have experienced violence, abuse, neglect, or other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Since launching its pilot program in 2014, TAEP has served over 4,000 students in grades K-12 in Charlotte. Through creative programs such as Encounters Life Skills, Free Arts, Culinary Arts Camp, Promoting Peace + Justice, and HeART Packs, TAEP serves youth who are often referred through child welfare, juvenile justice, and community partners. Each program offers a safe space for expression, skill-building, and belonging.