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Every town needs a place where people can gather.
A place where a seven-year-old can discover they love to sing. Where a teenager finds confidence under stage lights. Where a retiree learns to play an instrument they always dreamed about. Where neighbors become classmates, collaborators, and friends.
We believe that arts and STEAM education aren’t extras. They’re how communities tell their stories, solve problems, preserve traditions, and imagine what’s next.
That’s why the June Bug Center exists.
Through affordable classes and experiences for students of all ages, we’re building more than performers, programmers, musicians, and makers–we’re building a stronger, more connected Appalachian community.
One class, one performance, one person at a time.
HISTORY
The story of The June Bug Center begins with a fire.
In 2001, Mountain Rose Dance Studio lost its home when the building burned to the ground. What could have been the end of a beloved community program instead became the beginning of something much larger.
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In an extraordinary act of generosity, Donald H. "Swede" McBroom donated one of his own buildings so the dance studio could continue serving local families. That single gift sparked a vision that extended far beyond dance.​
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Together with Dorian Dugger, Swede founded The June Bug Center for Arts & Education, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit named in honor of his late mother, June McBroom.
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June was known throughout Floyd County for her kindness, generosity, and unwavering belief that every child should have access to the arts and educational opportunities, regardless of their family's financial circumstances. She understood that too many young people had nowhere to go after school to discover their talents, explore their creativity, or build confidence.
Inspired by her legacy, The June Bug Center was created to fill that need.​ What began as a home for one dance studio has grown into one of Floyd County's largest youth arts and enrichment organizations. Today, The June Bug Center offers 14 after-school programs and more than 20 summer camps each year, providing affordable instruction in music, theatre, dance, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math). Through scholarships and sliding-scale tuition, the Center continues to ensure that cost is never a barrier to opportunity.​
Thousands of young people have walked through The June Bug Center's doors over the past 25 years, discovering new passions, lifelong friendships, and confidence they carry with them long after they leave. None of it would have been possible without one simple act of generosity—a building donated to save a dance studio—and a belief that investing in children can transform an entire community.
OUR MISSION
The June Bug Center for Arts and Education (JBC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to providing music, performing arts, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) through ongoing afterschool programs, classes, and community theatre productions that are affordable to the community.