ASHOKAN CENTER
Thanks to an IBMA Foundation grant from the Bill Breen Bluegrass Youth Education Fund, the Ashokan Center welcomed a more economically diverse group of students to its annual Bluegrass Camp. Total attendance grew to 145 participants—an increase of 39 over last year—driven largely by higher youth enrollment.
Alongside core instruction and jam sessions in fiddle, mandolin, banjo, guitar, bass, harmony singing, and songwriting, this year’s program introduced dobro instruction to the curriculum for the first time.
JAM PAK
Supported by a grant from the IBMA Foundation’s Arnold Shultz Fund, Jam Pak welcomed 72 participants to its three-day summer camp. This year’s event was dedicated to the memory of Howard Anderson, a beloved mentor and master banjo coach who devoted 25 years to the program.
True to Jam Pak’s mission of community and inclusivity, all participants joined in every activity regardless of age. Program leaders also celebrated the diversity of their instructional team, with ten people of color serving as coaches throughout this years’ camp.
JUNIOR APPALACHIAN MUSICIANS (JAM)
A grant from the IBMA Foundation, funded through the Bill Breen Bluegrass Youth Education Fund, supported Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) during its 14-session spring term. The funding enabled instructors to provide hands-on tuition in fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, bass, and dulcimer, showing students how these instruments serve as powerful tools for expressing traditional Appalachian culture.
In addition to deepening student engagement, the grant helped JAM maintain a healthy financial standing by offsetting 41 percent of artist-instructor costs for the season.
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