LT. GOV. O'BRIEN LEADS ARTS EDUCATION TEAM TO CHICAGO

Colorado One of Only Five States Chosen for Education Institute

 

Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien will lead Colorado education leaders to a prestigious Arts Education Leadership Institute this week, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Only five state teams were chosen for the institute, which will meet in Chicago Tuesday to Thursday.

 

"The arts too often take a back seat in our education systems," Lt. Gov. O'Brien said. "But we know they play an important role in developing skills and engaging at-risk students, in addition to creating a well-balanced education."

 

The NEA Arts Education Leadership Institute will allow the five state teams to examine the challenges of providing arts education and create plans to strengthen their state's arts education policies and programs. National speakers and experts will support the teams, providing information and resources.

 

The Colorado team members include:

 

·         Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien

·         Dwight Jones, Colorado Commissioner of Education

·         Randy Zila, St. Vrain Valley Schools Superintendent

·         Gerald Keefe, Kit Carson Schools Superintendent

·         Vicki Taylor, Academy District 20 School Board Member

·         Elaine Mariner, Colorado Council on the Arts Executive Director

 

Teams from Louisiana, Michigan, Oklahoma and Rhode Island will also be attending the NEA's Leadership Institute. The states were chosen by an NEA panel.