Luther Burbank Center for the Arts and Healdsburg Unified School District Win Acceptance to The Kennedy Center’s Prestigious Partners in Education Institute

LBC and Healdsburg School District to Represent the Western United States
As One of Only 12 Teams Selected Nationwide

Santa Rosa, Ca. – The Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa and the Healdsburg Unified School District have together been selected to participate in the Partners in Education Institute - a progressive and highly prestigious arts education program presented by the nation’s leading performing arts organization the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. One of only 12 teams selected nationwide, the LBC and the Healdsburg District are the only team west of Oklahoma chosen to attend this year. Acceptance into the multi-year institute will lead to new and innovative professional development for local teachers, helping them to incorporate the arts as a tool for learning and improving the overall quality of education in North Bay classrooms.

“The arts must be at the heart of every student’s learning experience,” says Darrell M. Ayers, Vice President of Education at the Kennedy Center. “The education of teachers is an essential component of any effort designed to affect the artistic literacy of America’s young people. The Kennedy Center Partners in Education Program lends opportunities to reach this goal.”

Citing the “quality of your work,” as well as “your potential to develop or expand professional development programs for teachers,” Kennedy Center representatives praised the LBC’s current education program. Open to students from a five county region, the LBC program presently uses the concept of “arts as a tool for learning” to serve some 30,000 students, parents and teachers. The program provides more than two-dozen school shows, as well as dynamic hands-on workshops, pre and post-show classroom visits led by professional artists, and specially designed curriculum that ties to state mandated teaching standards.

“We’re very proud of our programs and very excited about our acceptance into the Kennedy Center’s Partners in Education Institute,” says David Fischer, LBC Executive Director. “It speaks well for the quality of our education program and provides the opportunity for us to move into the next essential stage of promoting and supporting arts education for students in the North Bay. By helping teachers – all teachers -- to incorporate the arts more fully into all curriculum, we expect to see not only happier students, but also much more successful students overall.”

“The arts are an amazing tool for teaching,” said Anita Ford, LBC Associate Director of Education and Family Programs, because they have the ability to reach students through so many different modes of learning. This is about using the arts, such as music, dance and theater, as a means to teach science for instance, or math, social studies, or literature. It’s a proven and dynamic method for learning, where students understand the subject matter more fully and retain it longer.”

The LBC gained acceptance to the Kennedy Center institute in partnership with the Healdsburg Unified School District. Team members from the school district include Healdsburg High School teacher, Sally Baker and Director of Educational Services, Robert Pape, longtime supporters of education through the arts. Together the LBC/Healdsburg team will attend the Kennedy Center’s intensive four-day institute in May 2005.

Through a series of workshops and seminars, the team will examine the variety of educational offerings for teachers developed and refined at the Kennedy Center since 1976 and explore methods for planning, implementing and administering similar events. The two-year program will include extensive follow up support from the Kennedy Center, leading to a program of professional development for teachers in the Healdsburg Unified School District and ultimately beyond.

“We see this opportunity as having a ripple affect,” said Ford, where the knowledge we gain at the Kennedy Center is shared progressively throughout the community. We’d like to see at least the beginnings of these new methods of teaching showing up in our classrooms next school year.”

Participation in the Kennedy Center’s Partners in Education Institute is funded by the participating team. Fund support is needed to ensure the success of this long-term program. Interested donors should contact the LBC Development Department at (707) 527-7006 to make a directed gift of support. Ultimately, the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts will work to develop additional grant sources to support ongoing professional development programs. The LBC Education Program currently receives major funding from Target Stores and the Community Foundation, Sonoma County as part of its mix of support that delivers current programs to more than 30,000 annually.
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