U.S. Figure Skating Announces 2022-23 Community Development Grant Recipients

U.S. Figure Skating announced today the recipients of the 2022-23 U.S. Figure Skating Community Development Grants.

U.S. Figure Skating announced today the recipients of the 2022-23 U.S. Figure Skating Community Development Grants. Six member clubs and programs have been awarded $2,000 each for the purpose of developing community-based programs and events designed to attract, involve and inspire new generations of figure skaters.

A five-member selection committee reviewed 33 applications and awarded grants to those clubs and programs that were most effectively able to demonstrate how they would use the award to develop their initiatives.

“I am ceaselessly amazed by the innovative proposals brought to us during this process,” said Anne Cammett, the chair of the selection committee. “It is invigorating and exciting to see the continued embrace of figure skating. Each grant translates into introducing a child or adult and their family to the figure skating community, potentially resulting in a lifelong desire to be involved in our sport.” 

The six recipients, and how they plan to use the grants, are as follows:

  • Bloomington Ice Garden Skate School will continue to develop its BIPOC Skating Program, which began in the 2021-22 season. Their focus is on offering more programs to be more diverse, equitable and inclusive to the community via existing recreational programs.
  • The Chicago Youth Foundation aims to engage more than 2,000 inner-city low-income youth in a completely free ice sports program involving figure skating and ice hockey. Upon completing learn to skate classes, skaters can choose to go into their Figure Skating On Your Block program or the Hockey On Your Block program.
  • Detroit Skating Club connected in the past with Grace Centers of Hope by providing ice skating experiences for the children they serve. The organizations would provide an eight-week learn to skate session that would include membership, instruction and rental skates.
  • District Synchro will use funding to send its synchro teams to the 2023 Eastern Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships. The synchronized skating teams serve skaters from Fort Dupont Ice Arena under the District Impact Skating Club, a minority-led figure skating club dedicated to making skating accessible and equitable for everyone.
  • Fort Dupont Ice Arena will continue to expand its Kids On Ice learn to skate program and introduce skaters to various ice skating disciplines. Most participating in the Kids On Ice program are from underserved communities in the Washington, D.C. area.
  • Louisville Skating Academy will conduct its Frozen FEAT summer camp in conjunction with the nonprofit organization FEAT (Families for Effective Treatment of Autism) of Louisville. The camp aims to increase diversity, equity and inclusion due to its goals to reach and serve this community that traditionally has limited access to figure skating and camp opportunities.

The Community Development Grants, started by the Robert V. Hauff and John F. Dreeland Foundation, were established in 2010 with the purpose of providing funding to eligible member clubs and Learn to Skate USA programs throughout the United States. Formerly known as the Hauff and Dreeland Community Development Grant, the U.S. Figure Skating Community Development Grants are awarded to applicants who successfully demonstrate program plans that embody the principles of U.S. Figure Skating’s mission and will be strong role models in promoting the sport of figure skating throughout their communities. 

For more information on the grants or any of the recipient programs, please click here or contact U.S. Figure Skating.

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