| The Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education partners with several organizations to promote jazz and jazz education. Current and recent activities include: Summer Scholarships For Summer 2011, the Dakota Foundation awarded scholarships to each of these organizations: Click here to download information about scholarships and an application form. The Dakota Combo The Foundation has allocated funds to support the five editions of the Dakota Combo to date (through summer 2011), a partnership with MacPhail Center for Music. Funding covers auditions, rehearsals through the school year, student tuition at MacPhail, school visits and a variety of performance opportunities, including a weekend with a visiting guest artist. In 2009, the Foundation supported a studio recording production; another is planned for the 2011-2012 school year. The Combo was selected to participate in the Charles Mingus High School Festival and Competition in New York City in February 2011. Youth Stages at Twin Cities Festivals The Foundation annually funds the Youth Stage at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, held each June in St. Paul. For the past two years, DFJE has also funded the Youth Stage for the Dakota Street Fest, held in July on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. Jazz Piano Scholarships In partnership with the Schubert Club, the Foundation cosponsored an annual Jazz Piano Scholarship Competition for students in grades 9-12, hosting a performance competition and award ceremony for finalists at the Dakota Jazz Club. After 7 years, the program is refocusing resources to bring aspiring and potential student jazz pianists together with outstanding clinicians. More information will be posted soon! Jane Award To date, the Foundation has presented its Jane Award for Jazz Education to three outstanding jazz educators—Felix James, Leigh Kamman, and Kelly Rossum, and to jazz radio station KBEM. The Jane Award is named in honor of Jane Matteson, benefactor and cofounder of the DFJE. New Activities in 2011 DFJE recently received a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council to bring Jazz Artists in the Schools, a project targeting 12 metro-area middle and high schools with the two-pronged goals of 1) introducing students to jazz music and 2) helping jazz students refine their skills through intensive interactions with active performers/clinicians. Programs supported through this grant will include vocal jazz coaching, clinics at a high school band festival, presentations to general student groups, and individually tailored clinics in selected schools. The grant from MRAC is funded, in part, by the Minnesota State Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund as approrpriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008. Participating schools for 2011-2012: · Minneapolis South High School · Minneapolis Southwest High School · Minneapolis Roosevelt High School · Minneapolis Washburn High School · Ramsey Performing Arts K-8 (Minneapolis) · St. Paul Central High School · Ramsey Junior High School (St Paul) · High School for Recording Arts (St Paul) · Roseville Area High School · Stillwater Area High School · Math and Science Academy (Woodbury) · Minnetonka High School | 