The St. Martin Parish School District is announced a new partnership with the Acadiana Center for the Arts (AcA) to expand access to high-quality arts education across all district schools, beginning this fall.
Through this collaboration, every school in the district will receive:
• On-site professional performances
• In-classroom sessions with teaching artists
• Access to online visual and performing arts lessons
• Professional development workshops for educators
“This partnership helps the youth of today fall in love with the music and culture that makes this region great,” said Frederick Wiltz, Supt. of St. Martin Parish Schools. “We are excited to work with AcA to bring these opportunities to St. Martin Parish students.”
The partnership is part of AcA’s growing regional initiative to integrate the arts into core curriculum and provide equitable access to arts experiences for all students, regardless of background or income. These sessions integrate the arts with subjects like Science, Social Studies, Math and English. Saint Martin Parish is the fourth district to join the initiative, following Lafayette, St. Landry, and Vermilion Parishes.
“We believe the arts are essential to learning and development,” said Samuel Oliver, Executive Director of the Acadiana Center for the Arts. “From improved academic performance to better attendance, the arts create lasting impact in schools and communities.”
A presentation by AcA representatives at school board meeting on Sept. 3 at kicked off the program.
In the current school year, AcA will bring 150 performances into schools across Acadiana, at no cost to the students, overcoming common barriers to access like cost or transportation. This initiative is made possible in part by The Visionaires, a donor group of the Community Foundation of Acadiana, who champion the belief that every child deserves access to arts in education.
For more Information contact: Jon Downs, Magnet Coordinator jon_downs@ saintmartinschools. org or Bree Sargent, Education Director Bree@ AcadianaCenterfortheArts. org
