HAMDEN, CT — July 25, 2025 — Arts for Learning CT (AFLCT) is proud to announce it has received a $5,000 grant from the Katharine Matthies Foundation in support of its “Developing Stories: Literacy Through the Arts” program. This funding will enable AFLCT to bring immersive, arts-integrated learning experiences to 300 third and fourth-grade students across Shelton and Seymour during the 2025–26 school year.
The program, led by acclaimed Teaching Artists Tom Lee and Leslie Johnson, combines traditional storytelling and poetry with literacy instruction to foster creativity, cultural awareness, and Social Emotional Learning (SEL). The residencies will take place at Mohegan Elementary (Shelton), Bungay School (Seymour), and Chatfield-LoPresti Elementary (Seymour), where many students face barriers to arts access and enrichment.
This program supports AFLCT’s mission to inspire young people and expand their learning through the arts. With this investment, AFLCT will deliver over 1,500 hours of student engagement in literacy-aligned, arts-driven instruction, helping students gain confidence, express themselves, and grow as learners.
About the Katherine Matthies Foundation
The Katharine Matthies Foundation was established in 1987 to support and promote quality educational, human services, and health care programming for underserved populations. Special consideration is given to organizations that work to prevent cruelty to children and animals. The Matthies Foundation specifically serves the people of the Lower Naugatuck Valley. For more information on the foundation, please visit https://electronicvalley.org/matthies/.