Fuse Project Partnerships Aid Calloway-Smith Middle

Fuse Project has announced a partnership with the Mobile Arts Council through its Amp Up Arts education programming to launch “After-School Art” at Calloway-Smith Middle School in Mobile. Fuse Project says the program fills a critical gap, as the school currently offers only band and physical education as electives during the school day. The collaborative program, led by Cherrelle Smith, “creates a safe and vibrant space where middle schoolers can explore their creativity,” Fuse Project added. Smith’s engaging activities blend art techniques with social-emotional learning. Each week, the program welcomes 24 students in two groups. They first attend an hour of tutoring before diving into an hour of hands-on art projects. Over a three-week rotation period, the program reaches 70 students. Additionally, according to The Buisness View, New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson visited Calloway-Smith and donated much-needed furniture. “We’re going to have new furniture in every area of the school, and there are going to be reading nooks so that students can move into the hallway when they finish their assignments and have a place to read,” Principal Nedra Payton said. Benson came to Mobile as part of a partnership with Fuse Project’s Academic Support Program through the Avenue Bridge Collaboration.