History
The Rachel Longstreet Foundation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) foundation established in 2001. It is named for the youngest child buried in the original Fort Augusta cemetery, which is located on the grounds of what is now St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Rachel Longstreet died in 1790, at the age of 2 years, 4 months. Her father was one of the signers of the document of incorporation for Augusta. The Rachel Longstreet Foundation founded the Jessye Norman School of the Arts, which opened in 2003, as part of its mission to enhance the educational, physical and cultural development of children in the Augusta area by providing quality arts, preschool and recreational opportunities, particularly for children who are economically or physically challenged.
Specialties
The Mission of the Jessye Norman School of Arts is to provide talented and interested youth, who may be economically disadvantaged, with a broad-ranged, professional quality fine arts education. It is the goal of the School of the Arts to nurture and develop young citizens to respect and appreciate art in its myriad forms and to recognize the role and value of the arts in their own lives and in society. The Jessye Norman School of the Arts is an after school program designed to develop and nurture the artistic and creative talents of students. The School of the Arts serves the cultural and educational needs of these traditionally underserved youth by providing: * Free fine arts instruction. * Academic tutoring. * An opportunity for advanced level study in dance, drama, music and art. * Exposure to professionals working within the arts fields. * Information on possible career in the arts. * Knowledge of technical aspects of presentation and performance