Why Support the Neighborhood Art House?
The Neighborhood Art House, a ministry of the Benedictine
Sisters of Erie, empowers youth through the arts—offering a safe, nurturing
space for creative expression, personal growth, and community
building.
Our mission is to serve inner-city youth ages 7–18, a
historically under-resourced population in Erie. Students come from over 30
schools, including homeschools, and participate in the area's most comprehensive arts
program free of charge. Every class is led by qualified instructors
and includes all necessary materials.
In 2022, we launched the Community Art Program to
expand our reach to adults and individuals with unique life challenges. By
2023, participation grew by 162%, and through 2025, over 2,000 people
yearly take classes and workshops — a powerful sign of the community's growing
need for the healing and connection that art can provide.
The Art House is more than just an arts center — it’s a haven.
Here, students not only explore their creativity but also build life skills
like self-discipline, teamwork, and responsibility. Through
partnerships with local businesses and organizations, we also offer academic
tutoring, health and wellness education, and financial literacy
workshops, helping young people grow into confident and caring members
of the Erie community.
Unlike many organizations, the Neighborhood Art House does
not receive government funding. We are 100% funded by private donors and
local businesses who believe in the transformative power of the arts.
Your support through Erie Gives helps ensure that all
youth — regardless of background — can experience the joy, stability, and
inspiration that come from a vibrant arts education.
Thank you for helping us shape a stronger, more creative
Erie.
📞 For more
information, visit neighborhoodarthouse.org or call 814-455-5508.
Benefits to the Youth
Learn hard work, skills, discipline and teamwork that can be transferred to home, school and, eventually the workplace. Mentored by caring adults in a safe and nurturing environment. Immerse themselves in beauty, creativity and the enriching values of the arts. Express themselves and have fun. Discover who they are . . . who they can become . . . and that they can do anything to which they set their minds.
Research
suggests that disadvantaged youth who attend high-quality arts and humanities programs during the hours they are not at home, benefit them academically and socially.
These youth:
Are two times less likely to use drugs; Are one-third less likely to become teen parents; Have improved school attendance; Have higher academic achievement; Do their homework more often and better; Learn to respect people who are different from themselves.
Research further shows that students who receive education in the arts:
Become self-sustained, self-directed learners; Are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement; Are more proficient at reading, writing, and math; Have a lower school drop-out rate than their socio-economic peers; Are twice as likely to graduate college as their peers with no arts education.
Again, Why Give Back to the Inner-City Neighborhood Art House?
It has been proven that students who engage in afterschool and summer programs are kept out of two potentially dangerous situations: the streets and/or an empty house. They are less likely to engage in crime or drugs and kept safe from having to fend for themselves while at home alone.
Nearly one-fifth of juvenile violent crimes occur in the 4 hours between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on school days. Being involved in an after-school program provides a safe space for students to socialize with their peers and helps to eliminate the risk of them getting into trouble.(Source: Miami University Partners In Learning) Whatever you contribute, you will be helping to provide a safe place and nurturing environment for inner-city youth after school.
Research Resources:
Salient Studies on the Arts in Education: Center for Online Education, Arts Education Fast Facts: Americans for the Arts, Learning and the Arts: Crossing Boundaries, School dropout prevention: What arts-based community and out-of-school-time programs can contribute, Champions of Change: The Impact of the Arts on Learning, For the Love of Music: The Influence of After-School Music Programs on the Academic and Non-Cognitive Development of Disadvantaged Youth
Who We Are
The mission of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie Inner-City Neighborhood Art House is to enable children to experience beauty, grow in positive self-expression and self-discipline, and develop into full and productive human beings.
Youth ages 7-18 who live in Erie's inner city are invited to attend the Neighborhood Art House after school at no cost for instruction in the visual, performing, and literary arts and in environmental awareness and action. This instruction includes semester-length classes and private music lessons; students can also choose a time for tutoring and for one-on-one reading with an adult volunteer...