BRPC to Receive $50K National Endowment for the Arts Grant

01:35PM / Wednesday, January 11, 2023Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) announced it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to receive a Grants for Arts Projects award of $50,000.

This grant will support the Creative Compact for Collaborative and Collective Impact (C4) Initiative. This grant is one of 1,251 Grants for Arts Projects awards totaling nearly $28.8 million that were announced by the NEA as part of its first round of fiscal year 2023 grants.

"The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support arts projects in communities nationwide," said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. "Projects such as this one strengthen arts and cultural ecosystems, provide equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, and contribute to the health of our communities and our economy."

According to a press release, for seven years, the C4 Initiative has fostered cross-sector regional alignment and community development, centering equitable access to artistic and educational resources to tackle widespread regional challenges. In partnership with various educational advocacy networks, the C4 Initiative, in collaboration with Berkshire Regional Planning Commission will execute region-wide collaboration for creative placemaking and address regional needs in Berkshire County's 13 school districts. This initiative was launched in collaboration with Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and the North Adams Public Schools.

"Engaging in the arts develops creative capacities that prepare young people for lives and work across sectors," Lisa Donovan, Director of the C4 Initiative said. "The rich cultural resources we have in the Berkshires distinguish us as a region and should be central to every young person's experience growing up in the county. This generous funding from the National Endowment for the Arts will allow us to develop clear career pathways that support high school and college students' needs, maximize access to our cultural resources, and make visible how arts learning builds creative workforce skills."

The next phase of C4's work will focus on cultivating a creative workforce by broadening the region's awareness of the myriad of career opportunities in the arts and culture sector. This will include establishing formalized career pathways in arts/cultural organizations, making visible the internships in the arts/culture sector available to Berkshire high school and college students, and producing a student-hosted podcast focused on the connections between early creative learning and arts exposure and critical workforce skills.

Tags: BRPC, NEA,

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Second Streets Second Chances Awarded $85K for Workforce Re-Entry Program

By Brittany Polito03:00PM / Monday, September 28, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A local program for formerly incarcerated citizens seeking a technical career received $85,000 from the state.

On Thursday, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced $2.25 million in Re-entry Workforce Development Demonstration Program grants to 12 organizations that will provide job training, career support, and employment opportunities to 445 formerly incarcerated individuals returning to their communities.

Second Street Second Chances was allocated $84,712 to partner with the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office to offer a training program to 12 returning citizens with a focus on the advanced manufacturing and engineering industry.

The funds will be used to put 12 returning citizens through a training program with a focus on the advanced manufacturing and engineering industry. Successful program graduates will be placed in manufacturing and welding roles at Onyx Specialty Papers and Hi-Tech Mold and Tool.

The program was one of 12 awardees, a majority on the eastern side of the state; Greenfield also saw funding.

"When people return to their communities, they should have a real opportunity to get a good job, support their families and build a stable future," said Gov. Maura Healey in a press release.

"These grants connect people with the training and experience they need to succeed and with employers that are ready to hire."

Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll said successful reentry means making sure people have the tools and opportunities to move forward, and these programs bring together community organizations, public safety partners, and employers to connect people directly with training and jobs.

Launched in 2022, Second Street Second Chances' mission is to provide a central point of access for medical and mental health, housing, job training, legal services, and more for a successful reentry into the community.

Early this year, the nonprofit saw an $89,000 grant from the program. Executive Director Lindsay Cornwell at the time said this funding allowed 2nd Street to expand its mission of supporting returning citizens in Berkshire County through meaningful workforce opportunities and a pathway toward sustainable employment.

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