The RAC is located on the 2nd & 3rd Floors of 57 South Main Street, right above Tee’d Off!

We are open M-F 2:30p-6p during the school year and from 12-5p for our Summer programming!

You can contact us by phone at (859) 595-0268!

We are on Facebook: Rowland Arts Center Instagram: @rowlandartscenterinc and TikTok: @racinterns

Mission

Through the Rowland Arts Center, our mission is to encourage the young people in our community to DREAM BIG and to equip them with the education, resources, and skills they need to be successful in middle and high school and life beyond.

A key component of The RAC is the development of transformational relationships. Our team – which is primarily made of volunteers who are passionate about raising up the young people in our community - will invest their time and energy as mentors, seeking first to offer an environment of safety and trust, then working intentionally to have meaningful conversations with the students. Through these relationships, our mentors will identify areas of need for the students – physical, emotional, academic, etc. – and work to develop plans and/or programs to help meet these needs. Our volunteers are caring adults who come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences (i.e. teachers, counselors, musicians, pastors, etc.) who desire to see positive, tangible change in the lives of young people. 

Programs

Opened in 2013, the Rowland Arts Center has continued to grow in its mission to serve, support, and invest in students and families throughout our community.

In the fall of 2016, the RAC launched Mentors & Meals, an after-school mentoring and tutoring program for 5th and 6th grade students. The program has since expanded to serve students from Baker Intermediate and RDC Junior High, providing academic support, enrichment, mentoring, and meals in a safe and encouraging environment.

The RAC also offers summer programming for middle and high school students, including drop-in hours, enrichment classes, and weekly special events. These programs help students stay engaged, active, and connected during the summer months when school is not in session.

Through Project Launch, our employability program, the RAC helps high school students develop the skills they need to become work and career ready. Students receive support with job applications, resumés, mock interviews, professionalism, and hands-on job training. We are also continuing to seek new business partnerships to create more opportunities for students in our community.

In addition to these programs, the RAC provides a daily drop-in center where middle and high school students can spend time after school in a safe, positive, and welcoming environment.

The RAC became a designated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in early 2017. Since then, we have continued to invest more time, resources, and care into serving our community and helping students discover their potential.

History

In 2009, a study done by the Clark County Community Actions Forum found that at any time in downtown Winchester, 60-70 teens were wandering the streets and participating in destructive behaviors including run-ins with law enforcement and the abuse of drugs and alcohol. The pervasiveness of generational drug & alcohol abuse in Central Kentucky means that hundreds of children in our city are fighting an uphill battle to find significance and purpose with little or no support from traditional family structures. Seeing the need, a local church, Calvary Christian Church decided to step in the gap and work towards becoming a catalyst for change. Calvary's hope was to establish a place where young people in our community could have a safe place for teens to find acceptance apart from dangerous behaviors; and where they could foster relationships and develop skills that will allow them to grow into successful, responsible, independent adults.

Under the leadership of Calvary Christian Church the idea of a community teen center was born. Out of that vision, the Cairn Coffee House was established as a means to help launch and sustain what is now the Rowland Arts Center. In the spring of 2017, the Rowland Arts Center came out from under the leadership and direction of Calvary Christian Church and became a 501(c)3 non-profit youth services organization. The Rowland Arts Center currently occupies the second floor and third floor of 57 Main Street in Winchester, KY.