The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts Announces Juneau, Alaska as Partner City for Any Given Child

The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts Announces

Juneau, Alaska as Partner City for

Any Given Child

Program Creates a Long-Range Arts Education Plan

for Students Grades K-8

(WASHINGTON, D.C.)—The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has chosen Juneau, Alaska as the 11th city for Any Given Child, a program that creates a long-range arts education plan for students in grades K-8. The program will incorporate existing resources of the Juneau School District, along with those of local arts organizations and the Kennedy Center to create a plan for arts education specific to the city. The city joins partnerships in Sacramento, California; Springfield, Missouri; Portland, Oregon; Southern Nevada; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Sarasota, Florida; Austin, Texas; Iowa City, Iowa; Baltimore, Maryland; and Fresno, California.

Any Given Child seeks to bring access, balance, and equity to each child’s arts education, using an affordable model that combines the resources of the school district, local arts groups, and the Kennedy Center. With the assistance of expert consultation services provided by Kennedy Center staff and other professionals, community leaders develop a long-range plan for arts education that is tailor-made for the school district and community.

“We are thrilled to announce Juneau as our next city for the Any Given Child program,” said Kennedy Center President Michael M. Kaiser. “A consistent arts education improves students’ intellectual, personal, and social development and I commend Mayor Sanford and Superintendent Gelbrich’s leadership with this program.”

“Our Capital City is rich in Arts and Culture and we are honored to see it get recognized by the Kennedy Center and their willingness to help us grow our future artists within the Juneau School District,” said Mayor Sanford.

"We are honored by this selection and looking forward to this collaborative process,” said Superintendent Gelbrich. “I am personally excited about this partnership and hope it will help our community—including schools—strengthen our youth arts education opportunities in Juneau.”

By working with other local arts organizations and using existing resources, the program aims to create little administrative overhead, remaining affordable. The first phase of the program, a comprehensive audit of existing arts education resources and needs assessment by Kennedy Center staff and consultants, is the first step. A review of the community and the school system will reveal what arts education resources currently exist, and what arts organizations and other community groups offer. Based on this information, a plan is created. The audit process takes approximately six to nine months. The Juneau Arts and Humanities Council, a local nonprofit, will assist in coordinating this first phase for Juneau. By working with other local arts organizations and using existing resources, the program aims to create little administrative overhead, remaining affordable.

During phase two of the program, a community committee makes recommendations to the school district and local arts groups on how best to implement the recently created long range plan, focusing on increasing arts opportunities for K-8 students. In addition, educators and artists can take advantage of a wealth of resources available from the Kennedy Center, such as supplemental lessons with online interactive learning modules and videos available at www.artsedge.org, professional development for teachers and teaching artists, and many others. The goal of this second phase is to provide a tapestry of arts education, strategically weaving together existing arts resources within the schools with those available from community providers and the Kennedy Center in order to reach every child.

In 2009, the Kennedy Center and Mayor Kevin Johnson announced the first formal Any Given Child program in Sacramento, California and immediately began phase one of the program in October of that year. Now in the implementation phase, Sacramento has added artist residencies in select schools and provided performing and visual arts experiences for all students K-8 in the two participating school districts. In February 2010, Springfield, Missouri became the second school district to participate in the program. Portland, Oregon joined the program in June 2010, and Southern Nevada joined in December 2010. Tulsa, Oklahoma joined the program in May 2011, Sarasota, Florida joined in June 2011; Austin, Texas joined in August 2011; Iowa City, Iowa joined in August, 2012; Baltimore, Maryland joined in September 2012; and Fresno, California joined in October 2012. The Kennedy Center accepts applications between January 1 and March 31 of each year for a program start in the fall of the same year.

Education at the Kennedy Center

As the national center for the performing arts, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is committed to increasing opportunities for all people to participate in and understand the arts. To fulfill that mission, the Kennedy Center strives to commission, create, design, produce, and/or present performances and programs of the highest standard of excellence and of a diversity that reflects the world in which we live—and to make those performances and programs accessible and inclusive.

Education at the Kennedy Center includes resources from its presentations and productions and those of its affiliates: the National Symphony Orchestra, VSA (the international arts and disability organization), and Washington National Opera. The focus, locally and nationally, is on producing and presenting age appropriate performances and educational events for young people and their families; school- and community-based programs that directly impact teachers, students, artists, and school and arts administrators through professional development; systemic and school improvement through arts integrated curricula, inclusive classrooms, and universal design in facilities and learning; creating partnerships around the issues of arts education and arts integrated education; creating and providing educational materials via print and the Internet; developing careers in the arts for young people and aspiring professionals; and strengthening the management of arts organizations.

FUNDING CREDITS:

Any Given Child, part of the Rubenstein Arts Access Program, is generously funded by David and Alice Rubenstein.

This program is also funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support provided by David Gregory and Beth Wilkinson; the President's Advisory Committee on the Arts; and the U.S. Department of Education.

For more information about Any Given Child,

please visit www.kennedy-center.org/education/anygivenchild

For more information about the Kennedy Center visit www.kennedy-center.org.

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