press room
For Immediate Release
06/03/2007Contact:
Virginia Anagnos
Goodman Media for Americans for the Arts
212.576.2700 ext. 222 or virginia@goodmanmedia.com
Americans for the Arts Presents First Annual Arts Education Award to Bradford County Regional Arts Council
LAS VEGAS, NV – June 3, 2007 – Today at its annual meeting in Las Vegas, Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America, presented the first annual 2007 Arts Education Award to the Bradford County Regional Arts Council of Bradford County, PA. The award is presented to a local arts agency that is changing local education through the arts. The honoree demonstrates innovation, produces visible results, and is a national leader in their field.
“Through its art programs, the Bradford County Regional Arts Council has enhanced the lives of very young children and their families in the underrepresented communities in which they live,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “BCRAC’s work in this area has few peers across the country. Their effectiveness, community engagement, and unwavering dedication are what we honor with this award.”
The Bradford County Regional Arts Council (BCRAC) brings appropriate music, dance, dramatic play, storytelling, and visual arts activities to the underserved children in every Head Start center in eight rural counties in Pennsylvania. In 1997, responding to brain research and realizing the importance of early childhood education, the BCRAC developed an arts in education program called the Learning Early Network.
The Learning Early Network is a collaboration of people and organizations such as Head Start Centers, daycare centers, libraries, pre-natal and early healthcare programs, government programs, private and public preschools, and parents. As a BCRAC project, the Network typically uses artists and the arts to pursue its mission, which is to work with parents, educational agencies and the community to improve the early learning opportunities for young children.
BCRAC also fulfills the other important criteria for the Arts Education Award including the integration of work into school or district infrastructure, involvement of public school and discipline-based arts educators, effective partnerships, industry-recognized work and success in building capacity for the organization itself and for the community.
The Arts Education Award is presented by the Arts Education Network of Americans for the Arts.
Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With offices in Washington, DC, and New York City, it has a record of more than 45 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.
