Founded in 1973 as an afterschool music education program, the Fort Wayne Children's Choir continues to offer an extracurricular music education program that challenges children musically through singing, while learning a discipline that serves them throughout their lifetime. Using the Kodály philosophy, an approach to music education, and an Indiana Music Standards- based curriculum, FWCC teaches children to read music just as a child learns to read words in a book. Singers attain excellence in artistry and music education through 1) music literacy, 2) education about composers, history, and language related to the music selected, and 3) performances.
Junior Achievement, also known as JA Worldwide, is one of the largest, nonprofit organizations that offers a variety of educational opportunities to students in Indiana. Founded in 1919, it maintains a staff of more than 3,000 employees. The organization serves over 92,000 students of Adams, Allen, Benton, Carroll, Cass and Fulton counties in Indiana. Junior Achievement conducts in- and after-school programs in work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy areas. The organization operates offices throughout the world. It administers middle grade and elementary and high school programs. Junior Achievement also provides scholarships and organizes a range of student events. The organization is accredited by the Better Business Bureau.
The Federation was organized in 1921, primarily as a welfare and relief organization to coordinate work and communal fund raising for the entire Jewish community. In 1939, Fort Wayne employed its first executive director. In subsequent years the Federation developed into a multi-faceted organization serving young and old in the areas of social services, education and cultural programs, leadership development, community relations, and fund raising. The FWJF was one of the founding agencies of the Community Chest and remains a program funded member agency of the United Way of Allen County. The Federation is considered a community leader in the efforts to reduce and eliminate prejudice. Today, the Federation serves as the central coordinating, fund raising, budgeting, and social planning agency for the Fort Wayne Jewish community. The Federation is a volunteer organization assisted by a trained professional staff. It is affiliated with the United Jewish Communities, a national association of 180 Jewish Federations serving communities in the U.S. and Canada. Federation Campaign Raising funds to finance human services at home, in Israel, and around the world is a fundamental Federation purpose. The annual UJA/Federation Campaign raises money for the Jewish Agency for Israel, the American Joint Distribution Committee, beneficiaries including community relations organizations, overseas, cultural, religious, regional and national agencies, and the local Federation operation. For over a decade, the Federation has operated the Gan pre-school, quality early childhood program. Camp Joe Levine is our summer day camp program. The FWJF has been actively involved in refugee resettlement since its inception. Refugees from Europe, Southeast Asia and the former Soviet Union have been assisted in their efforts to come to America.
