GRFA Announces EIGHT New LAA+ Schools

Yesterday the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts and Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne announced the expansion of the Louisiana A+ Schools network to eight new schools across the state for the 2015/2016 academic year. The announcement took place at a student performance at The Dufrocq School in Baton Rouge, one of nine current LAA+ schools.

Executive Director Jacques Rodrigue and Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne are joined by students at The Dufrocq School to announce eight new LAA+ Schools.

"These schools have been chosen through a competitive application process by demonstrating their commitment to innovative learning and the importance of the arts in every classroom," says Jacques Rodrigue. "They join a network of 9 schools across the state of Louisiana and over 130 schools nationwide that are focused on whole school research-based transformation through the arts."

LAA+ Schools, the first whole school arts-integrated reform initiative of its kind to enter Louisiana, is a network that provides teachers with the essentials to think more creatively about how students can apply learning in the real world, and how they can present curricula to students in ways they learn best.

"Arts education yields comprehensive benefits to students and we need to do all we can to ensure its inclusion in our schools curricula," says Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne. "We wish the selected schools the best in shaping our students' creative minds."

Click the map above to learn more about all 17 member schools in the LAA+ network.

2015/2016 New Louisiana A+ Schools:

Howell Park Elementary, Baton Rouge

Park Elementary School, Baton Rouge

Rollins Place Elementary School, Zachary

J. Wallace James Elementary School, Lafayette

Ridge Elementary School, Duson

St. Helena College and Career Academy, Greensburg

Messiah Montessori School, Houma

ReNew McDonogh City Park Academy, New Orleans