The program

targets students who have leadership potential and an

interest in the arts but have had little (or no)

opportunity to experience the arts. Participants are

nominated by their principals, who may nominate two

students per year, and are accepted for participation on

a first-come, first-served basis. Plans call for 100

participants each of the two pilot years and for the

program to ultimately grow to accommodate students

statewide.

Educator

Barbara Levy, academic consultant for the Academy and

coordinator of The Collaborative Education Partnership,

believes arts education is vital to children.

"Academics are so important, but a whole child is

made up of many parts and the arts feed important parts

of the child that cannot be ignored. Our current

generation of students is close to being arts illiterate.

Woodruff Arts Center should be applauded for taking a

leadership role in arts literacy in Atlanta with the

Academy program," Levy said, adding, "Some

children just don't enjoy great success in academics, but

can enjoy success in the arts and get the positive

reinforcement and self-esteem every child needs through

their participation in the arts."

Making the

decision to launch the Academy was an easy one for

Woodruff Center CEO Shelton G. Stanfill. "It came

down to one question, 'If not here, where?' The Academy

is something we - Atlanta and society - need and Woodruff

Center is the perfect place for it. No other arts

organization in the South can offer these students the

same broad variety of arts experiences. It is important

that Woodruff Center take a leadership role in arts

education. We're finding ways to remove barriers and open

more doors for children to experience visual and

performing arts."

For more

information on the Ford-Woodruff Center Academy for the

Arts, call 404.733.4599, or email [email protected] .

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