For immediate release
May 4, 2006 |
Contact: Larry Slonaker, SCCOE
(408) 453-6662
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Arts Integration Initiative
Includes Santa Clara County Office
Program Seeks to Implement Quality Arts Education
SAN JOSE, CA – A new effort to integrate arts into California schools'
curriculum will include the Santa Clara County Office of Education, it was
announced this week.
The goal of the initiative, coordinated by the California County
Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA) with a grant from the
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, is to determine what is needed to provide
quality arts education programs in California schools.
"We are thrilled to be part of this effort," said Colleen B. Wilcox,
Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools. "We are strong advocates of the
arts as an essential part of a student's education."
The SCCOE, which will receive $40,000, is one of 14 county offices taking
part.
The CCSESA Arts Initiative holds that a well-taught arts curriculum benefits
students in many ways, from creative thinking to emotional intelligence and
expression to social interaction and collaboration.
Although research shows there is broad public support for arts education in
the schools, reduced funding--combined with an emphasis on a more focused
curriculum-- has led to the exclusion of the arts in many schools.
The eventual aim of the initiative is to collaborate with the education,
arts, and business communities to develop a countywide arts education plan,
which would provide all students with access to the arts.
"Here in Silicon Valley, we place a premium on innovation," Wilcox said.
"The arts can be a doorway to innovation."
Date last updated: May 4, 2006
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