Young Audiences selected for $2.3M funding for arts education in partnership with Jeff Parish public schools

Young Audiences of Louisiana (YALA) is pleased to announce that they have been selected to receive funding through the United States Department of Education’s (DOE) Assistance for Arts Education Development and Dissemination Grants Competition (AAEDD). YALA is the local affiliate of the Young Audiences Arts for Learning Network (YA Network), a national organization committed to inspiring young people and expanding their learning through the arts.

YA Network affiliates YALA, ArtsNow Learning (ArtsNow), and Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE), have each been awarded more than US$2.25 million in funding over four years to advance pioneering projects in the arts integration field. These winning initiatives represent three out of only 22 AAEDD grants awarded for FY18, culled from more than 90 applications.

The AAEDD Grants Competition, formerly known as the Model Development and Dissemination Grants Program (AEMDD), supports projects that develop, disseminate, and integrate high-quality, effective arts-based instructional materials and educational programming, including online resources, in multiple arts disciplines that effectively 

(1) increase access to standards-based arts education; 
(2) integrate standards-based arts education into other subjects as part of a well-rounded education; and 
(3) improve students’ academic performance, including their knowledge and skills in creating, performing, and responding to the arts. 

AAEDD eligible projects are administered in partnership with a local education agency (LEA), or consortium of LEAs, in which 20 percent or more of the students served are from families with an income below the Federal poverty line. 
For more information about these awards and past competitions, visit the AAEDD Awards page.

Young Audiences of Louisiana– Comprehensive Arts Integration Schools Model
YALA has been awarded AAEDD funding to advance its Comprehensive Arts Integration Schools Model (CAISM) initiative, a partnership with the Jefferson Parish Public School System (JPPSS), to create, evaluate, and disseminate a replicable model for implementing school-wide arts integration programs. The CAISM initiative will directly serve 2,620 elementary students, 211 classroom teachers, six teaching artists, and 18 school leaders across six JPPSS schools. Additionally, the project will deliver national access to curriculum and model materials through a distance learning platform administered by Young Audiences, Inc. and contribute to research on the effectiveness of arts integration in improving student academic and artistic outcomes. CAISM builds on the partnership between YALA and JPPSS developed through two cycles of DOE Professional Development for Arts Educators grant projects beginning in 2014. Selected schools will be announced at a press event on November 29 in Jefferson Parish.

“On behalf of the YALA Board of Directors, we are honored that the US Department of Education recognizes the quality of our arts-integrated professional development programs and their impact on the children of Jefferson Parish.  We couldn't ask for better partners in the Jefferson Parish Public School System, and are proud of the YALA education staff for their innovation and commitment in developing and implementing high quality, comprehensive learning opportunities for youth,”said Marguerite Moisio, President of the YALA Board of Directors. “We are confident that the children served by this AAEDD-funded project will experience tremendous academic, social, and artistic growth as a result of our whole school approach,” she said.

About Young Audiences Arts for Learning
Established in 1952, Young Audiences Arts for Learning’s mission is to inspire young people and expand their learning through the arts. As the nation’s largest arts-in-education learning network, Young Audiences serves more than 5 million children and youth each year in 8,000 schools and community centers across the country through its diverse network of affiliates. For more information, visit: www.youngaudiences.org.
About Young Audiences of Louisiana
Young Audiences of Louisiana is the leading provider of arts education and integration programs in the state of Louisiana. Through 50 years of experience Young Audiences has evolved to serve the ever-changing needs of students, educators, and administrators in our state. Join us, along with our national, state, and local partners in bringing quality arts programs to every student across the great state of Louisiana. For more information, visit: www.ya4la.org.