Thank you to our supporters for making it possible for us to award emergency grants since 2020. Funds for future awards have now been exhausted. Our leadership team of volunteers has decided to close all new applications. We hope to support opportunities for BIPOC students in the future.
The mission of the BIPOC Student Fund by Black Arts Therapies Educators was to provide access and support for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in creative arts therapies education programs. As many colleges moved to remote-learning and online platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic, the BIPOC Student Fund supported basic necessities for undergraduate or graduate students in need of assistance. This grassroots initiative was funded by the influx of public giving during the racial justice uprisings of Summer 2020 in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. Marisol Norris, MT-BC, Britton Williams, LCAT, RDT/BCT and Leah Gipson, LCPC, ATR-BC, recognized that BIPOC students are increasingly likely to delay their studies due to illness, economic hardship, lack of a supportive network, loss and trauma. In addition to the hardships that many college students endure, BIPOC students experience racism at academic institutions, professional associations, and internships. Each of these factors can negatively impact students’ motivation and mental health, and ultimately lead to fewer BIPOC mental health professionals, in particular those who specialize in using art in psychotherapy.
The BIPOC Student Fund is not a non-profit organization. The donations were raised from crowd funding. The BIPOC Student Fund provided need-based-aid with the aspiration of building more resources for students. We affirm and support all BIPOC students, including those who identify as trans, disabled, queer, have marginalized religious identities, or share lived experiences as first generation college students. Award eligibility is inclusive of students across BIPOC diasporas and can be used for creative arts therapies education in the U.S. We are a grassroots initiative and welcome contributions from individuals, small groups, larger organizations, and institutions.
On July 7, 2020, we launched a $20,000 campaign. Past application cycles awarded small grants to students from each discipline, dance-movement therapy, drama therapy, music therapy, art therapy, and expressive arts therapy. The BIPOC Student Fund for creative arts therapies initiative ended in 2023.
