The Daviess County and Owensboro Public Schools districts are partnering with the Kentucky Department of Education to host the 2016 Kentucky Arts Education Summit at the RiverPark Center on June 16-17. The theme of the conference is “Arts Education: Empowering Individuals, Schools and Communities.”
James Catterall, author of “Doing Well and Doing Good by Doing Art,” will be a keynote speaker, along with Kentucky Education Commissioner Stephen Pruitt. The event will also feature workshops and a roundtable discussion addressing the value and benefits of providing robust, quality arts education to all students in Kentucky.
Summit participants will tour local arts education facilities (schedule and locations currently being finalized). Other workshops will focus on arts education grant opportunities and the connections between the arts and College and Career Readiness. Attendees will also have the opportunity to work directly with artists who will who will demonstrate and showcase some of their teaching techniques.
Educators from across the commonwealth will be in attendance at this event. Tom Stites, OPS coordinator of fine arts, said, “This is an outstanding opportunity for educators and arts supporters to hear the latest research, to learn from arts leaders and connect with school leaders on the value arts bring to our schools.”
“We are pleased to serve as a co-host for this wonderful event,” said DCPS arts coordinator Anthony Sparks. “This is a great opportunity for our arts teachers to learn and connect with others from across the state. With the tremendous support of the arts in our local community, events like this continue to empower teachers and enhance arts education for our students.”
The event is also sponsored by the Kentucky Coalition for Arts Education and its member organizations, including the Kentucky Music Educators Association; Kentucky Association for Arts Education; the Kentucky Theatre Association; and the Kentucky Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
