We are so excited to announce that we have been awarded over $150,000 through various funding sources towards our Arts Partners for Learning (APL) initiative! Support for this initiative comes from Fund for the Arts, United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, National Endowment for the Arts, the Garman Family Foundation, and the Conable Family Foundation.
This funding also supports a new initiative through APL, in partnership with Chautauqua Institution, to create whole school, arts integrated education partnerships throughout Western New York.
This exciting partnership will provide direct arts learning experiences to youth and professional development training for educators in arts integrated learning strategies in each participating school. The initiative will incorporate arts learning into their daily structure and more students across the eight counties of Western New York will reap the benefits that arts integrated learning can provide. “Chautauqua Institution is thrilled to partner with APL to more fully serve our Western New York learning community,” said Senior Vice President and Chief Program Officer Deborah Sunya Moore. “We believe that every child deserves access to the arts and that arts learning is an essential ingredient in building empathy, fostering creative problem solving and nurturing innovation.” Combining the resources and experience of our organizations with a commitment to learning will result in more thoughtful, purposeful and sustainable arts education opportunities for Western New York.
"We are thrilled to partner with APL to enrich our arts program and to develop curricula that are robust and engaging. This opportunity is priceless, and I am thankful for the partnership that APL has fostered with us. As a rural school, I am grateful to have opportunities that we would not normally be able to take advantage of due to our location. APL has bridged that obstacle; our students and the community will benefit immensely from this rich experience."
-Gretchen Rosales, Superintendent of Elba School District
About Arts Partners for Learning
Young Audiences recognizes the vital import ance of providing opportunities for youth to build and sustain community and cultural connections, the unique professional development needs of local nonprofit organizations, and the capabilities and needs of schools interested and involved in arts education programming. APL was developed as an initiative to collaborate with community organizations from the arts, cultural, education, and philanthropic sectors of Western New York to present professional artists and cultural educators to engage young people in long-term creative learning opportunities. Led by a Leadership Team composed of leaders from the various nonprofit sectors of Western New York, APL directly aims to bring arts and cultural programs to schools that are standards-based and integrated throughout the curriculum. Now in its 11th year, APL currently collaborates with 25 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, offering over 50 educational programs.
"Young Audiences of WNY is committed to ensuring arts education is accessible across Western New York, especially in rural communities where daily access to the arts is limited. This new partnership with Chautauqua Institution will leverage the power of our teaching artist roster, APL cultural institutions, and professional learning opportunities for teachers to ensure that the arts are integrated into the daily fabric of schools to enhance learning, increase student engagement, and foster a lifelong appreciation for the arts."
-Amelia Schrader, Executive Director
Arts Partners for Learning is supported by: