Center Receives $198,000 Department of Education Grant
Mountain Laurel Center for the Performing Arts Receives $198,000 U.S. Department of Education Grant To Establish Arts Education Initiative for Children
Mountain Laurel Institute to Open in Spring 2005—-Will Provide Access to World-Class Arts Programs for K-12 Students in Pike and Monroe Counties and Surrounding Region
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2004
FOR MORE INFORMATION: 570.588.5800
BUSHKILL, PA Ã The Mountain Laurel Center for the Performing Arts is the recipient of a grant for $198,000 from the United States Department of Education, which will create an arts education institute for local children, Richard T. Bryant, Mountain Laurel’s CEO announced today. Thanks to the leadership of Senators Rick Santorum and Arlen Spector, the grant from the DOE’s Fund for the Improvement of Education will establish the Mountain Laurel Institute, which will launch in the spring of 2005 with the goal of serving up to 35,000 K-12 students in Pike and Monroe Counties and the surrounding region.
“We are deeply appreciative of the tremendous support we’ve received from Senator Spector and Senator Santorum and for their commitment to providing quality education opportunities for children in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Programming for the Institute’s inaugural year will focus on the presentation of two world-class residency projects aimed at students,” said Richard Bryant. “Each will consist of a full week of performances and activities presented by nationally and internationally renowned arts organizations, supported by curriculum developed specifically for those residencies.” Bryant said that the names of the two arts organizations that will be in residence will be announced soon later this year.
“Through these residencies,” Bryant said, “the Institute seeks to provide access to a diverse set of high-quality arts education programs that will actively engage the children of our region, and will help teachers meet or exceed the core performing-arts curriculum standards of their districts.”
He added that in addition to programs presented to specific schools and classroom audiences, each residency of the Mountain Laurel Institute’s inaugural year will also include ticketed performances open to the general public. “In this way,” Bryant said, “we hope to broaden access to these programs and encourage family participation.” Further, MLC will seek to partner with a number of local social-service and community agencies to assure that each public performance is accessible to the widest possible audience.
The DOE grant funds will also provide for the hiring of a full-time Director of Education as well as an Education Program Coordinator. These two positions will be responsible for the management of the residency programs and education initiatives.
To encourage broad community involvement, MLC also will create a volunteer Education Advisory Panel, consisting of eight to 12 local arts education professionals, teachers, artists, parents, and county Board of Education officials. Panel members will review Institute programming and planning and will serve as advocates for the Institute and arts education in the region.
“We are grateful for the Department of Education’s support for our education institute and our ambitious plans to bring world-class arts organizations here to MLC for the benefit of local children and families,” said Bryant. “The extraordinary power of the arts not only enhances lives, but broadens and deepen children’s understanding of the world in which they live, and the diverse cultures that share our world. We look forward to the launch of the Mountain Laurel Institute and the opportunity to share the experience of the arts with thousands of children in our region.”
