ArtSeesDiner believes that Snow City Arts Foundation is an organization that you should know.  Founded 1998 to provide educational programming to Chicago's hospitalized children.  Over 11,000 children have been served. Children struggle in school due to hospitalizaton, sometimes drop out completely.  "The National Survey of Health recognizes that each year in Illinois 103,800 children miss extended amounts of school because of their need for medical treatment." Recognizing that too often these hospitalized children are deprived of the same educational support enjoyed by healthy children, our pioneering programs in Creative Writing, Music, Visual Arts, and Theater work to reverse this trend by providing much-needed developmental outlets, using the arts as a springboard for learning.  The mission of the organization is "To provide arts education and foster cultural enrichment for the benefit of hospitalized children." Snow City Arts focus is "on learning 7 days a week through our workshops. When learning to write poems or short stories, new painting techniques, how to play the guitar or piano, or even create a short film, children are now turning a time to heal into a time to learn. Partnering with other community organizations helps bring Chicago's finest creative talents into the lives of these children." Highlights of the Foundation are : "Innovative Program of the Year" in 2001, by Rush University Medical Center.  It was the first time in more than a 100 year history that the award went to an outside agency. "Community Organization of the Year" in 2002, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois 2003 Snow City Arts was recognized by Chicago Public Schools through a formal partnership which allows childredn to receive classroom credit for work accomplished through Snow City ARts. In 2003 programs also expanded to John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County to serve one of Chicago’s neediest communities.  At a 2004 national healthcare conference, a senior administrator from Johns Hopkins University Medical Center stated that “Snow City Arts Foundation’s work is visionary and should be considered one of the most complete and accomplished programs of its kind in the United States.”  2005 a partnership with Children's Memorial Hospital-Illinois' largest freestanding hospital exclusively for kids. In 2006 Snow City Arts Foundation was recognized by the White House as one of the 15 finest youth arts programs in the nation. Snow City Arts received the prestigious 2006 Coming Up Taller Award from First Lady Laura Bush and the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities at a White House ceremony. Snow City Arts is proud to be only fourth Illinois recipient selected in the history of the award. Snow City Arts has partnered with: Columbia College Chicago Art Institute of Chicago Smart Museum at the University of Chicago In the past two years alone our children’s creations have been featured at the: Art Institute of Chicago Chicago International Children’s Film Festival Chicago Humanities Festival Numerous galleries across Chicago  Snow City Arts is the only program of its kind in Chicago and it is an organization we felt you should know! To become involved contact Snow City Arts .