Josh Groban has often spoken about how important arts education was to him as a kid, and now his charitable foundation, the Find Your Light Foundation, is helping to make arts education possible for kids nationwide.
The charity has announced that it's awarded more than $1.25 million in grants to 189 nonprofits in 33 states, providing arts education to more than 300,000 kids between the ages of 5 and 12. It also made a special grant to the Music Rising National Disaster Relief Fund, which will help support music students and music teachers who were impacted by the wildfires in Los Angeles.
In a statement, Josh says that the organizations that received the money "reflect the incredible work being done by teaching artists and educators everywhere to inspire students to explore their creative talents and dreams – especially in neighborhoods and cities where arts funding doesn’t always reach those students with the greatest need."
He adds, "I owe my career to incredible teachers who unlocked the door to arts and creativity for me and I’m proud to pay that forward through the work of the Board and team at this special Foundation.”
And speaking of inspiring people to explore their creative talents and dreams, Josh has been doing just that by serving as a mentor on American Idol. On May 2 he'll release a best-of album, GEMS, to go along with his upcoming five-night series of shows of the same name at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Those start May 9 and run through May 17.