Boys & Girls Club of Fall River

For many young people, access to music education is limited by cost, staffing, and availability—particularly in communities where families are already balancing multiple challenges. At the Boys & Girls Club of Fall River, the White Family Foundation’s support of performing arts programming has sparked a full reimagining of what music can look like for the 1,598 youth the Club serves each year.

A grant from the Foundation made it possible to launch a dedicated music program that the Club simply could not have offered otherwise. Prior to this investment, limited resources and staffing made sustained music instruction out of reach. With the Foundation’s support, the Club was able to establish new partnerships with Rawkstars—a nonprofit committed to equitable access to music—and the Narrows Center for the Arts, bringing highly trained musicians and instructors directly into the Club.

These collaborations provide consistent, high-quality programming that bypasses the challenges of staff turnover or reliance on volunteers, elevating the experience for every young person involved. Just as importantly, the momentum created by the Foundation’s grant helped the Club secure additional funding, allowing performing arts opportunities to continue expanding. What began as a single investment has become the catalyst for a new era of creativity at the Club.

Arts programming is now offered nightly, with music instruction available weekly. The Club continues to meet growing interest among teens while also expanding opportunities for its largest age group—members ages 8 to 10. With the Foundation’s support, the Club offers three music sessions during the school year, along with music opportunities as part of the Camp Welch summer program. This ensures that young people who may not connect with traditional fine arts still have a creative outlet, whether through storytelling, spoken word, or musical performance.

One member’s journey reflects the impact of this expanded access. Sole has been coming to the Club since she was six years old and has long been drawn to visual art, participating enthusiastically in fine arts programming and studio art classes at school. Now 13 and part of the Teen Center, she recently stepped into the Club’s new music studio—an opportunity that did not exist before the White Family Foundation’s support. With guidance from Rawkstars instructor Rilla Force, Sole wrote and produced her first song, which she proudly describes as one of her favorite artistic accomplishments.

Exploring music has strengthened her confidence as an artist, given her a new medium for self-expression, and broadened her creative identity. Her story is one of many that illustrate how removing barriers allows young people to discover and grow their gifts.

Each night, as many as 200 youth walk through the Club’s doors. For just $25 per year, members can participate in all programs—including sports, swimming, homework help, fine arts, and now music—at no additional cost. Specialty instruction, instruments, and lessons are typically inaccessible for many families in the community. The Foundation’s investment makes it possible to prove that when access is equitable, young people lean into their creativity, explore new passions, and thrive.

The White Family Foundation’s support has not only brought music to the Boys & Girls Club of Fall River—it has brought possibility, confidence, and creative opportunity to hundreds of young people. By investing in youth arts education, the Foundation is helping cultivate the next generation of creators, performers, and engaged citizens, strengthening both individual lives and the cultural fabric of the broader Fall River community.

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