JACKSON, Mich. — There's magic in the air over in Jackson, where Jackson School of the Arts is helping more than 900 students spread their wings and fly.
"I really found it hard to express myself when I was younger," 13-year-old Olivia Gloar said. "Dance really helps me figure that out."
Olivia has been dancing at the Jackson School of the Arts for 11 years. She also takes art classes and does theater.
"I'm actually in the play Shrek that we're doing," she said.
Her mother Dawnie said if it weren't for the school's scholarship program, she wouldn't be able to afford her daughter's ambition and love of the arts.
"When I haven't been working in the summer because I work for the school districts, we can tap into the scholarship programs," Dawnie said.
Dawnie isn't alone.
"My parents would not be able to pay for the classes just by themselves, let alone without the scholarship," dance student turned instructor Kennedy Lee said.
Taneka Thomas' daughter Nina does three dance programs at the school.
"You know, being on just my single-income, no other income anywhere else, it's like, 'Okay, um...how are we going to be able to pay for all this?'" Thomas said. "That was my worry, and then when they said, 'No, we have scholarships,' and I'm like, 'Okay! We're going to do it and we will make it work.'"
For more than 650 students like Olivia, Kennedy and Nina, JSA offers $11,000 a month in scholarships for programs like art, dance, theater, gymnastics and Tae Kwon Do.
"We want you to shine bright, we want you to explore, and we don't want you to stress about having to afford your classes," JSA Executive Director Cherie Good said.
It's made possible with the support and generosity of the Jackson community. This weekend is the school's biggest fundraiser of the year, the Fairy Festival. In its 16th year, it's already raised more than $75,000 for the school.
To see the magic, tickets for the festival can be purchased online.
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