Foundations team up to return arts to Philadelphia schools
Tuesday, April 7th, 2009
A new effort is underway to expand the reach of arts education in Philadelphia. Three non-profit groups are teaming up to push the arts in and out of the classroom.
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The Philadelphia Education Fund, Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth and the Fleisher Art Memorial are partnering for the Arts for Youth Initiative. Carol Fixman is with the Education Fund. She says the goal is to educate students about the arts and tie it into classroom activities.
Fixman: We're talking about all of the arts disciplines, from the visual arts to the performing arts, theater, music and dance and we're talking about the cutting edge work that design and technology model for us as well.
School Superintendent Arlene Ackerman says moving arts education out of the classroom will help integrate it into the community.
Ackerman: For too long we've seen the arts as a responsibility for just the schools, we need to take the arts where the children and their families are.
Funding for the 10-year effort will come from the Wallace and William Penn Foundations, and from money remaining from Mayor Nutter's Inaugural fund.
