Kennedy Center Picks Sarasota For Arts Education

Wednesday morning at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, the Kennedy Center announced that it is committed to working together with Sarasota to develop a long-range plan for arts education for every child in grades K-8.  Thundering applause filled the room as the program was explained. The plan, Any Given Child, will incorporate existing resources from the Sarasota County School District with those of local arts organizations and the Kennedy Center. The goal is to create a comprehensive arts education plan for the district.

Any Given Child seeks to bring access, balance and equity to each child’s arts education, using an affordable model that combines the resources of the school district, local arts groups and the Kennedy Center. With the assistance of expert consultation services provided by Kennedy Center staff and other professionals, community leaders develop a long-range plan for arts education that is tailor-made for the school district and community.

Mayor Suzanne Atwell said, “This is an extraordinary opportunity to enhance the value of arts education in our community. Sarasota is honored to join in partnership with the Kennedy Center’s Any Given Child initiative.” She went on to say that "the arts engage different parts of the brain and causes children to think differently and innovatively. Societies that just focus on learning skills lose a significant part of their creative force."

Kennedy Center President Michael M. Kaiser commended Atwell, Superintendent Lori White and the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall for their commitment to enhancing the lives of Sarasota students. Kaiser said, “A strong arts education improves students’ intellectual, personal, and social development. The Kennedy Center wants to ensure that every child receives a solid, meaningful arts education in our schools and in our community.”

The first phase of the program is a comprehensive audit of existing arts education resources, which will take about nine months. During phase two, a community committee will make recommendations to the school district and local arts groups on how best to implement a plan. The Kennedy Center has a wealth of resources available, including supplemental lessons with online interactive learning modules and videos, professional development for teachers and teaching artists, and many other resources.

This is a three to four year program designed to incorporate arts as a discipline and arts integration into the public school system curriculum in Sarasota.

Nancy Roucher, Chair of Arts Education Task Force at the Alliance for Arts and Culture said, “This is a wonderful opportunity to combine a lot of resources and to advocate for arts education.  Arts are just as important as math and science. Arts help in every aspect of our children’s lives and we are very happy that Sarasota has been selected to be part of this program.”

Norm Olshansky, President and CEO of the Van Wezel Foundation, said, “this is a validation of what a special community we have here, that an institution such as the Kennedy Center has recognized us and called to us to take it to another level.”

“What an exciting opportunity and advantage for arts education. The more we can educate the society on the importance of the arts, the better the future will be for all of us. The Kennedy Center’s partnership and commitment to our schools is significant and speaks well of Sarasota,” said Dr. Larry Thompson, President of Ringling College of Art + Design.

Sarasota joins existing partnerships in Sacramento, Calif.; Springfield, Mo.; Portland, Ore, Las Vegas, and Tulsa, Okla. For more information on Any Given Child, please visit www.kennedy-center.org/education/anygivenchild.