ROCKLAND — Friends of the Strand Theatre Inc. is honored to announce they have been awarded grant funding from the Quimby Family Foundation to launch a concerted community engagement effort through the establishment of an educational outreach program — geared toward making the incredible quality and variety of the Strand's high caliber arts programming available to school age children, and their families, throughout mid-coast Maine.

In regards to the new program and the grant award, Jessie Davis, executive director of the Strand Theatre, said in a news release, "This is an important next step in our development as a true communal asset, allowing us to actively engage students, and their schools, in tailored programming to make the Strand available and accessible to all in our community. We are excited about launching our educational outreach program and we are thrilled to be recognized by the Quimby Family Foundation as a valuable contributor to the artistic, cultural, and educational vibrancy here in Maine. "

Founded in 2004 by entrepreneur, environmentalist, and philanthropist, Roxanne Quimby, the mission of the Quimby Family Foundation is to encourage vibrant sustainable Maine communities by promoting health and well-being, advancing opportunities for outdoor recreation, protecting and restoring our environment, and supporting local access to the arts for all Maine people.

The Strand Theatre, which has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, became a nonprofit in January 2014 and is now operated by Friends of the Strand Theatre. Grants, as well as memberships, sponsorships and fundraising efforts, help pay the operating expenses for the wide range of cultural and educational programming the theater offers to the community.

The Strand Theatre is located at 345 Main Street. For more information about the theater, visit rocklandstrand.com.