Arts for All, Los Angeles County’s dynamic, countywide collaboration to restore standards-based arts education into the public school core curriculum, received the Arts Education Award at the 2011 Americans for the Arts National Convention in San Diego last Thursday. 

In front of over a thousand arts educators, advocates, patrons and board members, the Arts for All Executive Committee accepted the award on behalf of the 44 schools districts and many organizations that participate in the unique initiative.

According to the press release from Arts for All and the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, "Arts for All impacts close to 950,000 students and has experienced an annual growth in district participation since it began in 2003 with six vanguard districts. Arts for All has used a pragmatic approach to assist school districts as they build the foundations that support quality, sequential, K-12 arts education in dance, music, theatre and visual arts. For many children, this ongoing instruction in the arts is their most memorable educational experience, often leading to jobs and careers in what experts call the 'creative economy' of Los Angeles." 

The release quotes Los Angeles County Arts Commission's Executive Director, Laura Zucker, regarding the exceptional track record of Arts for All: "It is our hope that our work in L.A. County will provide a model for school districts across the country that are committed to including sequential, standards-based K-12 arts education in the core curriculum."

As a proud partner in Arts for All, Arts for LA congratulates the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, the Arts for All staff and all of the students, parents and educators involved in the groundbreaking initiative.

For additional information about Arts for All and this award, please visit LACountyArtsforAll.org.  For Americans for the Arts' press release, please click here.

Photo from LACountyArtsforAll on Flickr.  Pictured: Ayanna Hudson, Director of Arts Education, Arts for All: LA County Regional Blueprint for Arts Education, and Bob Lynch, Executive Director of Americans for the Arts.