Partnership Will Directly Benefit Participating Schools from Burbank, Los Angeles, Norwalk-La Mirada and Saugus School Districts

(Los Angeles) - The Music Center/Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County and seven Los Angeles County public schools have been selected to participate in an important arts education program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Complete list of schools follows.

The NEA awarded $76,000, the largest of its 177 arts education grants made across the nation, to support the work of these schools in a special partnership with the Music Center. The project, which will be entering its third year, includes a professional development program for teachers this summer, the creation of new curriculum based on significant ‘great works' of art, as well as intensive follow-up and support from professional teaching artists from the Music Center.

"Our ultimate goal is to increase student learning in the arts," said Mark Slavkin, Vice President for Education, Music Center." This sustained partnership is providing educators the opportunity to enhance and refine their own strategies to present the arts as a central part of the instructional program. "These schools have already made great strides. We are very excited about the opportunity to help them move to the next level in this coming school year," added Slavkin.

The Music Center of Los Angeles County is one of the three largest performing arts centers in the nation and one of Southern California's premier cultural destinations. Centrally located in downtown Los Angeles along Grand Avenue, the Music Center is home to four internationally acclaimed Resident Companies: The Los Angeles Philharmonic, Center Theatre Group, LA Opera and the Los Angeles Master Chorale and is comprised of four venues - Walt Disney Concert Hall, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum - as well as outdoor theaters, plazas and gardens. Additionally, the Music Center offers the largest presentation of dance in Los Angeles, tours of the Center, participatory arts activities, a speaker series, exciting programming for children and families throughout the year and its school education programs are nationally recognized. For more information, visit musiccenter.org or call 213-972-7211.

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS
2007-08 School Year

Based on the commitment of their principals, teachers and school site and parent groups, the following schools have been selected to participate in the 2007-08 school year:

Burbank School District
Bret Harte Elementary, Diane Berger, principal (Burbank)
Jefferson Elementary, Esther Salinas, principal (Burbank)

Los Angeles Unified School District
Birdielee V. Bright Elementary, Rene Robinson, principal (South LA) Colfax Elementary, Joanie Freckman, principal (North Hollywood) Multi-Cultural Learning Center charter school, Toby Bornstein, Executive Director (Woodland Hills)

Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District
D.D. Johnston Elementary, Adriana Chavarin-Lopez, principal (Norwalk)

Saugus School District
Charles R. Helmers Elementary, Bernadette Torhan, principal (Santa Clarita)