Callanwolde offers painting and drawing classes on a weekly basis for veterans living with PTSD. We work with the Department of Veterans Affairs PRRC (Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center) to register the veterans. This class has proven to be a safe space for the veterans to open up, talk with other veterans about their experiences, explore arts expression, and allows them to take some well-deserved time to focus on themselves while experiencing the healing power of art.

We also offer Financial Aid to veterans that graduate from the PRRC program so they may continue their arts journey at Callanwolde. One veteran has gone on to find his passion in jewelry making and now sells his creations.

In 2022, Callanwolde began teaching art classes to veterans transitioning out of homelessness in partnership with the VA’s Whole Health program. With support from donors, we hope to dramatically expand this program to offer classes at Fort McPherson.

The Dance Progressions Partnership program offers free after-school dance classes for 4th and 5th grade students in under-resourced communities. Callanwolde partners with Title I elementary schools to teach classes once a week for twelve weeks.

Classes focus on classical ballet and jazz. Students are provided with dance shoes and a Callanwolde t-shirt. At the end of the twelve weeks, students are invited to Callanwolde Amphitheater to perform at a formally produced recital complete with costumes. Parents and guardians are invited to attend. Free transportation is available for a little over 20 percent of the students and family members, if needed.

This program is designed to create new opportunities for talented young dancers to be a part of a passionate dance group and inspire them in an artistic environment to pursue their love of dance.

Callanwolde offers financial aid to low-income seniors like disabled veteran Lisa Groves. Lisa values her classes at Callanwolde so much that she takes public transportation five hours round trip twice a week to attend her jewelry making classes.

With help from our donors, Callanwolde is expanding support to low-income seniors by partnering with senior centers in the greater metro-Atlanta area.

The Ability Garden is a partnership project with Trellis Horticultural Therapy Alliance (trellishta.org) to build outdoor wheelchair-accessible gardens and offer horticultural therapy workshops to people with disabilities. These programs, held in a supportive and safe environment, promote inclusion, build community connections, act as a source of motivation, and empower through hands-on learning.

Some of the program groups are engaged in include basic garden education, garden art creation, art therapy with natural materials, flower arranging, and more. The success with the current groups we serve has created a higher demand for populations living with disabilities.

Organizations we are partnering with to provide personalized programs include Emory, Shepherd Center, Gigi's Playhouse, and the Ruby A. Neeson Foundation.