education funds for their school. Prizes range from $1,000 to $10,000 and non-winners receive a $1,000 stipend for participating. Each band is limited to 12 members, and each member must be currently enrolled in the competing school. Judges consider originality, adherence to tradition, improvisation, tightness and overall presentation when deciding winners. Songwriting Workshops for Kids with PJ Morton - a series of songwriting workshops that are open to middle and high school students in New Orleans. The workshops and applications are free but are limited to 30 students. Students learn songwriting techniques from PJ Morton. Mardi Gras Indian Beading and African Drumming Workshops - a series of free workshops that take place at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center. Beading workshops are led by Howard Miller, the chief of the Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indian tribe. Miller teaches the workshops to students ages 10–17 in New Orleans. Drumming workshops are led by Luther Gray, head of the Congo Square Preservation Society. Gray provides drums to students who cannot provide their own. Economic development programming Jazz & Heritage Music Relief Fund - a statewide relief fund to support musicians who have lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic caused venue closures all around the world and left many New Orleans' musicians without a source of income. The Fund has provided emergency grants to over 2500 musicians in the city and the campaign for fundraising is ongoing. Donations continue to be received from organizations like Spotify, Michael Murphy Productions, the Goldring Foundation and the Bentson Foundation. Community Partnership Grants - proceeds from the Festival are invested back into the community. Over $8 million has been redistributed through community partnership grants to fund cultural projects, all of which must align with the Foundation's mission. Recent category additions include the Louisiana Cultural Equity Arts Grant which allows BIPOC creatives to focus on creating new works. Applications are accepted from all over Louisiana, and represent a wide range of diversity. Jazz & Heritage Film Festival - the Foundation works with the New Orleans Video Access Center to put on a festival that showcases documentaries about south Louisiana or that are produced by New Orleans filmmakers. The festival lasts three days and includes screenings and networking for film industry professionals. A majority of the featured films have been awarded funding from the Foundation's Community Partnership Grants. The festival takes place