The Southwest Airlines Heart of the Community program, in partnership with Project for Public Spaces has announced its 2018 grant recipients, and the Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy is proud to be one of the five public spaces receiving $125,000 for its work revitalizing Greater Kennedy Plaza, specifically Burnside Park.
According to a Southwest Airlines blog post announcing the winners, “This year, the Southwest Airlines Heart of the Community grant was made available to previous recipients between 2013 – 2016 to support the ongoing evolution and sustainability of their public spaces. We are proud to announce this year’s recipients and continue our support of these great places! Through the Southwest Airlines Foundation, an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation, each grantee will receive $100,000 in initial project funding, as well as an opportunity for a $25,000 dollar-for-dollar fundraising match. Grant recipients will also receive technical assistance from Project for Public Spaces in specific areas that were identified as a persisting challenge, opportunity, or need.”
The funds received through this grant will go toward the continuous expansion and development of the Imagination Center in Burnside Park. This structure, originally built in 2013 with funds from the first Heart of the Community grant the DPPC received, has become the home base for public programming in Burnside Park. With this new investment, the Imagination Center can continue to grow and be a destination that welcomes tourists and residents from other neighborhoods in Providence. This grant will also allow the DPPC to expand its programming season into the spring and fall, and even through the holiday season.
Program Director Jen Smith, who was selected to sit on the 2018 Southwest Airlines Heart of the Community Cohort Advisory Committee, says, “The funds received through this grant will build on the success of the Imagination Center in Burnside Park. This structure, originally established in 2013 with funds from the first Heart of the Community grant the DPPC received, has become the home base for public programming in Burnside Park, housing critical amenities for programming, such as the Imagination Playground. With this new investment, the Imagination Center can continue to grow by activating dormant areas of the park, and adding new amenities such as a performance stage, as well as improvements to make it a destination point that welcomes tourists, Rhode Islanders and even residents from other neighborhoods in Providence. This grant will also allow the DPPC to expand its partnerships and its programming season into the spring and fall, and even through the holiday season.”
The DPPC invites everyone to come down to Burnside Park and see first hand how this support from Southwest Airlines and Project for Public Spaces has helped make this park a more dynamic and inviting space for residents and visitors alike.
Interested in learning more about our free public programming? Details can be found on our Facebook events page. See you in the park!
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