Wow! Our first annual Louisiana A+ Schools Summer Institute could not have gone better!
It was the first professional development training for teachers of its size, structure and duration ever in Louisiana! Twenty-five (25) facilitators from Oklahoma A+ joined fifteen (15) facilitators from Louisiana to train nearly 100% of 7 school faculties (200+ teachers) for an entire week on arts-integration, A+ methods and our Eight Essentials in order to impact over 3,000 Louisiana students!
Member schools are every type (urban, rural, suburban, pre K - 12, public, private, charter) and are in Shreveport, Monroe, New Iberia, Baton Rouge, Reserve and New Orleans.
The institute was held in partnership with LSU on LSU's campus during the week of June 24th.
Participants live tweeted to @AplusLA using the hashtag #AplusLA and their photos are displayed throughout this blog entry.
At the end of every day, we asked participants to share with us their reactions to that day's training. Overwhelmingly, nearly all teachers and principals gave us positive reactions! We of course don't have room here to display them all. However, here are some of our favorites:
I think….this has been the best workshop I have attended in 17 years! (11th Chemistry II AP teacher)
I discovered today that….common core, core knowledge, and Louisiana A+ 8 Essentials really work perfectly together. (Kindergarten teacher)
If I could change one thing I would….change the amount of time at this workshop. Would love to have more time with you. (1st grade teacher)
If I could change one thing I would….not change a thing about today. It was beautiful. (Principal)
I understand better how….LAA+ evolved and why it is so important to integrate art across the curriculum. (Art teacher)
I understand better how….to set up my students to succeed in the most creative ways while building their self esteem. (Kindergarten teacher)
I rediscovered….the joy of teaching and seeing the learning process in action. (5th grade teacher)
I feel….much better about the A+ school model because it is not just another thing I have to incorporate in my class but rather an important piece of a puzzle that was missing. (Kindergarten teacher)
I will be able to use….everything I’ve learned. (6th grade English language arts teacher)
I was surprised that….there are so many ideas I could actually put into a math class. (7th grade math teacher)
I am proud of the way….I am able to visualize how to integrate both art and music with my English classes. (11th grade English teacher)
It would be helpful if….I knew all of this when I was first started teaching 25 years ago. (Kindergarten teacher)
I discovered today that….art education is an excellent mechanism for helping students move past their perceived limitations to explore new possibilities. (Principal)
I was surprised that….the process of creating and sharing art is the same as the Scientific Method and sharing results. (5th grade science teacher)
I discovered today that….there is no longer a reason to say, “It is time for math. Now it is time for spelling.” EVERYTHING needs to be taught together – integration throughout the curriculum. (1st grade teacher)
Over 200 teachers from
seven Louisiana schools learn arts-integration teaching method
THIS IS THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE FOR TEACHERS OF ITS SIZE, DURATION AND STRUCTURE EVER IN LOUISIANA!
(Pictures throughout, photos from the first two days of our training by our participants using the @AplusLA Twitter hashtag "#aplusla")
The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA) is excited to host the first annual Louisiana A+ Schools (LAA+) Summer Institute for the 2013/2014 school year. Under the direction of Oklahoma A+ Schools, LAA+ will give the first seven LAA+ Schools accepted into the network staff professional development in arts-integration June 24-28 in Baton Rouge at the LSU School of Music & Dramatic Arts.
“I am so excited to see that these schools in Louisiana are willing to embrace the arts as a vehicle for transformation,” says Bethany France, Director of LAA+ Schools, “because Louisiana is so well known for arts and culture.”
Started in North Carolina in 1995, A + Schools is a research-based whole school network with a mission of nurturing creativity in every learner through an arts-integrated school network. The network provides teachers with the essentials to think more creatively about how students can apply learning to the real world, and how they can present curricula to students in ways they learn best.
Arts integration is achieved through continuous practitioner-led professional development, statewide support networks for teachers and administrators, and partnerships with parents, community resources, media and universities. LAA+ is available to any Louisiana school (public, private charter, birth through 12) through an application process. LAA+ will add 5-10 schools every year.
WHO: 20 facilitators from Louisiana A+ Schools (LAA+), 35 facilitators from Oklahoma A+ Schools (OKA+) and over 200 teachers representing the following seven schools from across Louisiana:
1. South Highlands Elementary Magnet, Shreveport, Public, Pre-K - 8
6. Homer A. Plessy Community School, New Orleans, Charter, K - 2
7. Martin Behrman Academy of Creative Arts and Sciences, New Orleans, Charter – Pre-K – 8
WHY: Extensive university research in A+ Schools reveals dramatic improvements including:
oElevated student achievement
oBetter student and teacher attendance
oDecreased discipline problems
oStronger parental and community involvement
oA more creative and enjoyable educational environment
"We believe LAA+, the first whole-school, arts-integrated reform initiative of its kind for our state, has the potential to influence the way that all Louisiana students are taught." says Jacques Rodrigue, Executive Director of GRFA.
“I have seen what the arts have done to transform the seventy schools in our Oklahoma network,” says Jean Hendrickson, Director of OKA+ Schools, “and I am so excited to be here in Louisiana to share our success with the members of LAA+”
In addition to North Carolina, A + Schools has been successfully implemented in Oklahoma and Arkansas and currently has over 120 schools in the National A+ Schools Consortium Network. The program’s success in other states has prompted GRFA to team up with Oklahoma A+ Schools to bring A+ methods to Louisiana.
For more information visit www.aplusla.org or contact the LAA+ Baton Rouge office located in the Shaw Center for the Arts at 225-388-5521 or bethany@georgerodriguefoundation.org.
Louisiana A+ Schools is a program of the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts.
GRFA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization advocating the importance of the arts in the development of our youth through a variety of art educational programs.
Congrats to Bonnie J. for winning our raffle of the special "You Can't Drown the Blues" signed by George Rodrigue, Irvin Mayfield and other musicians of New Orleans Jazz Masters concert.
What a great night and thank you to everyone that entered! All money raised will go to great use as we and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra work to bring arts and music programs to our youth.
Watch our short video on to learn more about what Louisiana A+ Schools and the arts can do to nurture creativity and prepare our students to succeed in 21st century Louisiana.
At Culture Connections Day in Baton Rouge, LA, on April 23, 2013, LAA+ Schools, in partnership with Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne, announced the seven schools joining the LAA+ Network.
These schools have committed to whole school reform through arts integration. We could not be happier with our first set of members! Hear from experts in education from across the state about why this announcement is so important.
LAA+ is a program of the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts.
The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA) is seeking interns to assist with 2013 summer art camps. Interns will gain understanding in art education, arts integration and early childhood development while supporting a team of experienced art teachers and specialists.
GRFA summer art camps are designed to inspire students to create and develop their own unique artistic style while exposing them to a wide variety of two-dimensional and three-dimensional media. Each class explores age-appropriate elements of art and focuses on building a strong foundation in creative design.
Qualified candidates should demonstrate a willingness to work with children ages three to thirteen. A background in the visual or performing arts is preferred, but not required.
Hello again. Jacques Rodrigue here. This is my second guest blog entry on Wendy’s blog. I hope everyone had a chance to read my first one about how I work to protect the Blue Dog from copyright infringement.
But today I am here to talk more about creativity and arts in education in honor of my recent TEDx Talk that posted last week and is embedded below.
There is no way that I could have pulled the talk off without observing how well my Dad and Wendy give their lectures and painting demonstrations. I learned so much from watching Wendy skillfully present my Dad’s career highlights in hundreds of presentations across the country (one school presentation pictured below).
So, over the years, I was pretty prepared to mimic her when I had to occasionally give speeches at museum openings and school presentations. But, giving a TED talk in a strict 12-minute time limit proved to be an extremely challenging experience and a whole new ball game for me!
Recorded talks at TED and TEDx (TED affiliated events) can get hundreds of thousands of views online and a few even have views in the tens of millions. TED started in 1984 as a conference under the concept of “ideas worth spreading” and has since expanded beyond its original topics of Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED).
For some time now, I had been hoping that someone great would give a TED talk on arts-integration and the A+ Schools Network. I first learned about A+ three years ago and their arts-integrated school network is in operation in 120 schools spread across North Carolina, Oklahoma and Arkansas (now a National A+ Schools Consortium).
When we discovered A+ we found out what the true mission of the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts should be. Our other programs like giving art supplies to schools and scholarships in an art contest looked like mere band-aids compared to the whole school transformation that we saw in these schools. A+ Schools embrace the arts in every classroom and every subject in order to “nurture creativity in every learner.” I couldn’t believe that not more people knew about the great things that these schools were doing. I knew a TED talk by an expert in A+ would be a great way to gain exposure for their program.
To my surprise, after we formed our own Louisiana A+ Schools (LAA+) network here this year (our seven member schools pictured above), a TEDx event at LSU invited me to give the lecture that I hoped someone else would give! To have the chance to be able to share our story and our vision for the potential for arts in our Louisiana schools was exciting!
Soon though, excitement gave way to dread (pictured, the stage at TEDxLSU).
If I nailed the talk, we had a real chance to let thousands of people hear about this arts-integrated school network. However, if the talk was bad or I failed to deliver, I would have just squandered a great opportunity. The pressure was overwhelming at times!
Luckily, the organizers of TEDxLSU gave my fellow presenters and me an organized plan to handle the pressure. The great TED talks look effortless. The organizers warned of how much time and effort it would take for our talks to look casual and composed.
So, I prepared myself for over a month. I read books on how to deliver a TED Talk. I outlined my thoughts, took notes and I watched as many other TED talks as I could to see a pattern of why some were more successful than others. Plus, I borrowed many of Wendy’s best ideas and slides from her many presentations on my Dad (pictured, the slide with "Don't Turn Your Back on Your Troubles, 'Cause They'll Just Mulitply" is always good for a laugh).
However, the talk that gave me the most inspiration and helped me was by Sir Ken Robinson. His talks have over 100 million views. It is a must see because, first of all, it is HILARIOUS! He could have been a stand up comic! Sir Ken’s delivery is impeccable and he really gets you to understand why teaching creativity (the process of having original thoughts that have value) is so important to our students.
So, I borrowed some ideas from Ken Robinson’s speech (I hope he doesn’t mind!) and I focused on how my mentors (Jean Hendrickson from Oklahoma A+ Schools and Paul Leopolous from the THEA Foundation & Arkansas A+ Schools) would deliver this speech. I had a loose outline of the points I wanted to make and I thought I had pretty much everything ready to go.
About a week before my speech though, I found out how woefully unprepared I really was. I gave my first practice presentation to our team of Louisiana A+ Fellows at our first annual LAA+ Fellows retreat (pictured, the LAA+ Fellows are experts in every subject or art form that will be training our schools on arts-integration).
I stuttered and stammered and rambled through about 30 minutes of lecture that had no clear theme or message (more than twice my 12 minute time limit!).
For the next week, I went back to the drawing board and with the help of the LAA+ Fellows and our staff at the Rodrigue Foundation, the theme and structure of the talk came together. I typed out the entire speech as if it was a screenplay and for days worked on memorization, delivery and timing in conjunction with my slides.
I got to practice one time in the TEDxLSU venue on campus (pictured above) and then delivered my talk the next day. It wasn't perfect, but, in the end, I really am happy with how it came out. The organizers of TEDxLSU did such a great job organizing the event and as of this writing I have had more than 1,500 views! I hope everyone enjoys the speech and we would of course love to get your feedback.
We at the foundation and at Louisiana A+ Schools will need your help and support to try to change perceptions on arts and schools. But, we are in this for the long haul and we believe it can be done!
One of the best things you can do to help out is sign up for our mailing list and keep informed about the latest things that Louisiana A+ is doing. Or, if you represent a school or are a member of a community arts organization that wants to partner with us, please let us know!
Thanks again to all of my mentors and the staff of the Rodrigue Foundation I could not have done it without all of them.
And thank you to Wendy for letting me be a guest blogger again. She will be back soon!
We were so honored to have the Piano Man himself, Billy Joel, stop by our Foundation Education Center in New Orleans in order to play and sign the Rodrigue Steinway on April 25, 2013!
Mr. Joel was in town to play for thousands at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The piano, donated by the Hall Piano Company in New Orleans, is slated to be sold to the highest bidder, with half of the proceeds going to the LSU School of Music and the other half to GRFA.
Using a 1913 Steinway Model A grand piano as his canvas, George Rodrigue donated his talent in creating this piece. It is a genuine Steinway, having been fully restored to Steinway & Sons standards by certified Steinway technicians. It will be used as a concert and performance piece to generate interest in and funds for the needs of the LSU School of Music.
On April 23, 2013, Louisiana's Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne and Gerri Hobdy, Chair of the Louisiana State Arts Council, presented Jacques Rodrigue, executive director of GRFA, with the "Arts Education Award."
The Arts Education Award recognizes the efforts of individuals or organizations that have helped, through educational efforts, to broaden people's understanding of the importance and value of arts and traditions in Louisiana.
From the Louisiana Culture Awards Program held at Culture Connection Day in Baton Rouge:
Jacques Rodrigue currently serves as the executive director of the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts. Armed with a law degree from Tulane, he originally planned a career in intellectual property law but changed focus when he and his father, famed Louisiana artist George Rodrigue, founded GRFA.
Under the leadership of Jacques Rodrigue, GRFA has built a reputation as a leading provider of arts integration and arts education resources in Louisiana. He began his work by implementing a number of programs important to Louisiana schools, including Scholarship Art Contests, George's Art Closet Grants, an Art Therapy Program and Summer Art Camps at the GRFA Education Center in New Orleans. He is implementing the exciting new A+ Schools program in Louisiana, continuing his distinguished work in arts education.
Lafayette, LA (April 17, 2013) – The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA) and Capital One Bank today announced a $72,000 donation to support education and arts programs in Louisiana. The donation includes $41,500 to GRFA programs and $30,500 to non-profit organizations in Southwest Louisiana that align with Capital One Bank’s focus areas, supporting literacy, educational resources for teachers in high-need schools and financial education.
Funded by proceeds from the recent auction of an original George Rodrigue Blue Dog painting, 11 Lafayette area schools and multiple local non-profits will benefit from the donation.
GRFA agreed to auction off the painting after Capital One Bank donated a Festival Acadiens 1983 poster painted by Rodrigue to the foundation. The classic poster had been displayed in the Vermilion Street location of Capital One Bank since the 1980s.
The $41,500 donation to GRFA programs includes:
•$16,500 for the George’s Art Closet program at 11 local schools.
•$25,000 to underwrite the school fee for a Lafayette-area A+ school during the 2014-15 school year. The school will be determined through a selection process by GRFA next spring.
The $30,500 donation to non-profit partners in Southwest Louisiana that align with Capital One Bank’s focus areas includes:
•$10,000 for The Reading Clinic at University of Louisiana at Lafayette. As a major component of the Reading Center, the clinic provides individualized literacy instruction to students at area schools. The financial donation will be paired with a book donation for participating students.
•$10,000 for Junior Achievement of Baton Rouge and Acadiana. The donation will be designated to financial literacy programs in Acadiana.
•$10,500 for the Lafayette Education Foundation (LEF). The donation will be designated to LEF’s Teacher Grant program that rewards innovative and exceptional classroom strategies for learning.
“With the help of community partners like Capital One Bank, we’re able to work through George’s Art Closet to bring valuable art supplies into the classroom,” says George Rodrigue. “Though this is something many schools in Louisiana lack basic funding for, we’re able help these classrooms become innovative learning environments.”
“Through an approach called ‘Investing for Good,’ Capital One Bank works to generate lasting, local community impact through our delivery of core banking services and specialized community development, philanthropic and volunteer support. As part of this work, we’re proud to work with the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts to support educational initiatives throughout southwest Louisiana,” said Michael Wack, Capital One Bank’s Southwest Louisiana Market President.
In 2013 - French Quarter Festival celebrates its 30th Anniversary in New Orleans! Chevron is the fest's title sponsor we have partnered with them to help introduce a new STEM Zone (STEM: science, technology engineering and math initiative), a unique and interactive environment built to inspire students to inquire and foster a passion around the science, technology, engineering and math in every arena, including arts and culture!
WHEN: Saturday and Sunday, April 13 and 14, from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.
WHERE: Chevron Children’s Headquarters on the Natchez Wharf (Toulouse Street at the River)
GRFA has designed three take-away activities in order to incorporate visual art standards and STEM. It will take each student 30 minutes to complete all 3 projects.
Activity 1: Blue Dog Geometric Shape Collage
Students will identify and use shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle, oval, etc) to create a Blue Dog collage.
Activity 2: Life Cycle of a Butterfly
Students will begin by sectioning cardboard circle in 1/4. Each ¼ will represent a different stage in a butterfly’s life cycle. Students will cut out labels for each stage and be challenged to draw a picture that will represent that stage. They will then glue each label and picture in each ¼.
Activity 3: Exploring Symmetry through a Butterfly Sculpture
Students will demonstrate their knowledge of symmetry by creating three-dimensional butterflies using Model Magic.
We are very excited to be working with Chevron for the French Quarter Fest this year! These activities give just a glimpse of what arts-integrated lessons can look like to help students better understand traditional subjects. Plus, our entire area will be decorated with Blue Dog and Butterfly artwork by George Rodrigue! We hope you can join us!
UPDATE: Thank you for your interest in the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts. The application period for the following positions is now closed. (5/1/13)
Louisiana A+ Schools Program Coordinator
The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts seeks applicants
for the Louisiana A+ Schools Program Coordinator position. This position will provide
administrative leadership and coordination for Louisiana A+ Schools, a research-based
whole school network with a mission of nurturing creativity in every
learner. The Louisiana A+ Schools
Program Coordinator will design and implement professional development for
pre-k to 12th grade teachers, supervise contracted staff, plan special events,
and assist with grant writing.
B.F.A. or B.A. and a minimum of five years pre-k to 12th grade education
experience required. Applicants must demonstrate a history of arts
integration/innovative learning strategies, collaboration and creativity. This position is domiciled in Baton
Rouge and will require both statewide and national travel. Visit www.aplusla.org for more
information about Louisiana A+ Schools.
Summer Camp Instructor
The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA) seeks
certified art teachers or teaching artists to lead summer art camps in New
Orleans for students in preK-3 through third grade. GRFA summer art camps are
designed to inspire students to create and develop their own unique artistic
style while exposing them to a wide variety of two-dimensional and
three-dimensional media. Each class explores age-appropriate elements of art
and focuses on building a strong foundation in creative design. B.F.A. or B.A. and minimum of five
years teaching experience are required, and early childhood training is
preferred. Teachers must demonstrate a history of arts integration/innovative
learning strategies, collaboration and creativity.
GRFA is an equal opportunity employer and is dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including age, sex, race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.
Congratulations to all the junior and senior winners!
On March 23, 2013, GRFA awarded over $45,000 in college scholarships and art supplies to ten high school seniors and five juniors at an awards luncheon at the Sheraton Hotel New Orleans.
High school juniors and seniors were asked to create a unique piece of work based on our theme "Louisiana's Culinary Heritage" in partnership with the Louisiana Restaurant Association's Education Foundation (LRAEF) .
Winning entries will be used in a new Louisiana Cookbook. The Fall 2013 cookbook will showcase 100 recipes from Louisiana's greatest chefs, with proceeds benefiting GRFA and LRAEF programs.
These 15 finalists were chosen from over 600 entries and over 120 cities from across Louisiana! Thank you to everyone that entered!
As part of our Art for Healing Program, GRFA with the support of St. John United Way, United Way of SE Louisiana and the Brees Dream Foundation hosted a community art making workshop.
These fifteen (15) finalists were selected by our first round of judges from nearly 600 entries from across the state. These high school juniors and seniors will share in $45,000 in college scholarships and be featured in a new Louisiana Culinary Heritage cookbook in partnership with the Louisiana Restaurant Association.
Awards will be given out at our awards luncheon on March 23, 2013, at the Sheraton Hotel New Orleans. For the first time, tickets to the event will be open to the public. Ticket information will be posted soon!
Thank you to everyone who entered and for all those that made this year's contest our biggest yet!
The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA) advocates the importance of the visual arts in the development of our youth.GRFA encourages the use of art within all curriculums and supports a variety of art educational programs.
