Bluecoats & EN-RICH-MENT Organizations Announce Affiliation, Restructuring & Begin A New Era Of Expanded Access To Life-Changing Programming For Young People
THE ALLIANCE CREATES A SPECTRUM OF PROGRAMMING THAT EXPANDS ACCESS TO MUSIC, ARTS, AND LIFE SKILLS CLASSES IN NORTHEAST OHIO AND BUILDS A STRONG FUTURE FOR EN-RICH-MENT AND ITS MISSION.
Members of both the Bluecoats drumline and the EN-RICH-MENT drumline gather following an impromptu performance after Bluecoats Party in the Plaza was rained out. Under their new affiliation, these programs join forces in a spectrum of programming from EN-RICH-MENT’s local after school and summer programming through the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps.
Today Bluecoats and EN-RICH-MENT announced a new affiliation between the organizations, launching a new future for performing arts and youth education programming in Stark County. This newly formed affiliation will restructure both organizations, creating an extraordinary spectrum of programming for youth that spans from local students' first experiences with the performing arts, to the world-renowned Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps.
EN-RICH-MENT PROGRAMS
AFTER SCHOOL CLASSES FOR ART, MUSIC, DANCE, COOKING & MORE
WEEKEND PERFORMANCE PROGRAMS LIKE DRUMLINE & THEATER
FLAGSHIP SIX-WEEK SUMMER CAMP FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Founded eleven years ago by Betty Smith, an esteemed non-profit business leader and pillar of the Canton community, EN-RICH-MENT has been instrumental in providing free programming to young people in Canton and Northeast Ohio. With a focus on predominantly Black and Brown youth, EN-RICH-MENT has become a beloved organization in the Canton community, offering free after-school music, arts, culinary/nutrition, and life skills classes to any student who comes through the door.
Bluecoats, founded in 1972 as an outreach program of the Canton Police Boys Club, has a rich history of inspiring young people in the pursuit of excellence through drum corps. Renowned worldwide, the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps has become synonymous with excellence and creative innovation in the marching arts. In addition to its signature world class Drum & Bugle Corps program, the organization has evolved into a preeminent music and performing arts education provider, with programming such as Rhythm IN BLUE, The Blue Way Summer Arts Camp, and Bluecoats School of the Arts.
Both Canton nonprofits were founded to bring life-changing experiences to young people through the pursuit of excellence in the performing arts. Together, they share the conviction that young peoples’ lives are shaped through programming that teaches them that the pursuit of something beautiful and disciplined makes the world - and their lives - better. As both organizations have blossomed, they’ve each grown to create programming that delivers increasingly enriching opportunities. EN-RICH-MENT cares for a beautiful garden, teaches nutrition and culinary skills to children, and provides theater, dance, music, art, and technology classes to any local student.
Similarly, Bluecoats’ growth has come to include performances around the globe, new performing ensembles like Rhythm IN BLUE, and educational and access programming like The Blue Way Summer Arts Camp, Bluecoats School of the Arts, and Play It Forward.
Together, these non-profits will align their programs and operations, teach each other new things, share resources, and build a spectrum of programming that reaches thousands of students - from their first note on an instrument or first stroke of paint on a canvas, to their age-out year performing for tens of thousands of fans at a Drum Corps International event.
As part of this affiliation, Betty Smith, the founder of EN-RICH-MENT, will continue serving as the Executive Director of the organization, and will also join the Executive Team of the Bluecoats organization. Mike Scott and Genevieve Geisler, the CEO and CFO/COO of Bluecoats, will assume executive officer roles within EN-RICH-MENT. All three will also serve ex officio roles on each organization’s board of directors. Furthermore, both organizations will appoint Affiliated Directors to each other's boards, and an Advisory Board will be established to provide further community leadership and stewardship of the EN-RICH-MENT organization. Each organization will continue to operate as a separate 501(c)3 non-profits.
“Together, these non-profits will align their programs and operations, teach each other new things, share resources, and build a spectrum of programming that reaches thousands of students - from their first note on an instrument or first stroke of paint on a canvas, to their age-out year performing for tens of thousands of fans at a Drum Corps International event. ”
Initially, the goals of this affiliation and restructuring include general resource sharing, creating operational efficiencies, and planning for a secure and confident future for EN-RICH-MENT’s programming such as succession planning and capacity building. The two organizations have been dreaming together for months of a future where EN-RICH-MENT has a permanent and purpose-built home for its young people and programming. The organizations hope to share some exciting updates about these possibilities soon.
“We know that EN-RICH-MENT programs have been - and will continue to be - transformational for our community,” said Mike Scott, CEO of Bluecoats. “What excites me most about this affiliation is knowing that we can be of some service to the growth and stability of this amazing vision that Betty Smith has. Her work, and the work of her colleagues, truly makes Canton and Stark County better for all of us. Our goal here is to be in service of that work, to maintain the beautiful, community-led strategic vision of EN-RICH-MENT, and to help foster this spectrum of programming that together we have envisioned.”
The EN-RICH-MENT Drumline performs, as Bluecoats drumline members watch.
