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28 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday March 9, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Increasing youth access to the arts hat does it take to cultivate a child's artistic talent? According to Oakville Suzuki Association former Chair Carole Crotty, a little opportunity and encouragement goes a long way. For families of modest income, learning a musical instrument can sometimes be a financial impossibility. Music lessons and the purchase of an instrument can become quite expensive. Yet what of children from lower income households who yearn to learn? Crotty points out that experiencing music and the arts can prove just as valuable an opportunity for youth as participation in sports. Practicing music ­ not to mention having the chance to perform before an audience -- can teach not only new skills but increase self-confidence, inspire courage to try new things and promote a strong work ethic. The Oakville Suzuki Association believes that money should not be a barrier to such opportunities for any child. With some help from the Community Foundation of Oakville, this conviction has become a reality. The Oakville Suzuki Association -- a non-profit group that defines itself as devoted to the development of ability and enrichment of the human spirit through teaching music to young people -- recently benefited from a grant through W The Community Foundation of Oakville's Ontario Endowment for Children and Youth in Recreation Fund. This grant allowed children and youth with an interest in the arts, yet hindered by financial need, to attend Oakville Suzuki Association's Performing Arts Camp. The Oakville Performing Arts Camp, held each July, offers children and youth an exciting experience with music, enhanced by optional offerings in drama and art. In the summer of 2006 -- thanks to The CFO fund -- bursaries were awarded to families in need. The bursaries directly benefited children ranging from age 4 to the teen years, allowing them to attend up to two weeks of camp. Parents, music instructors and Crotty herself marveled at the opportunity, which allowed -- amongst others -- a six-year old girl to play the violin for the first time, and a youth to play the cello in a chamber group. The bursaries aim to increase accessibility to the arts for young people ­ and to introduce them to skills that they may go on to use for a lifetime. For more information on The Community Foundation of Oakville and its programs, contact Anne Miskey at 905-845-5547 or at amiskey@thecfo.org. Visit online at www.thecfo.org. - Submitted on behalf of the CFO by Nicole Pietsch, CFO volunteer