What might your school transform into?

Our education system is the voice of young people across the country who believe that all American children should have access to high quality education.  This grant was created as a response to the sad reality that the most critical stakeholders in education— students and teachers — do not have a strong voice in school reform efforts. Our focus is to improve K-12 education by engaging and empowering America’s youth in a transformation for better schools by integrating the arts and arts-based strategies into the core elementary and middle school academic curriculum. The Bernstein Comprehensive School Reform Model, Artful Learning™ and Artful Leadership, encompasses language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, physical education and the arts with professional learning for teacher leadership and student learning.. This combination creates an environment for success with all students while supporting at-risk students. Character education also becomes a key strategy and goal in school transformation.

Who Is Involved?

Two elementary schools and one middle school were selected to be a part of the School Transformation: Character Through The Arts grant program. They responded to a request for proposals that demonstrates strong teacher and administrator understanding and a desire to participate in the program with documentation of strong pre-existing related initiatives and resources.

About the program:

Granting agency:   USDOE, Office of Innovation & Improvement
Program:    Arts In Education Model Development & Dissemination Grant Program.
Funding: Total of $274,900 per year for the 4 year project
Focus: 

• Integrating the arts and arts-based strategies into the core elementary and middle school academic curriculum including language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and physical education and the arts
• Strengthen the capacity for adaptability and effectiveness of The Bernstein Comprehensive School Reform Model through transformational teacher leadership
• Integrating the arts and arts-based strategies into the core elementary and middle school academic curriculum including language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and physical education and the arts
• Developing professional learning for teaching and teacher leadership for success with at-risk students
• Establishing character education as a key strategy and goal in school transformation

• The Bernstein Center for Learning Through The Arts, Gettysburg, PA
• Character Education Partnership, Washington, D.C.
• Inner Harbor Residential Treatment Center, Douglasville, GA
• Minority Student Achievement Network, Ann Arbor, MI

For more information about the School Transformation: Character Through the Arts program contact:

Richard Benjamin, Project Director | Ph 678.852.3753 | rbenjamin@pioneerresa.org

Mary Lasris,  Professional Learning Specialist & Project Manager
| Ph 706 865.2141 | mlasris@pioneerresa.org

Pioneer Regional Educational Service Center is the Fiscal Agent