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National Guild and MetLife Foundation Announce Support for Arts Education Partnerships

Posted on: Tuesday, 24 March 2009, 08:12 CDT

Partners in Arts Education Program will award grants and provide training to support partnerships between community arts education providers and public schools

NEW YORK, March 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts has received a grant of $275,000 from MetLife Foundation to continue the MetLife Foundation Partners in Arts Education Program. The national initiative, now in its fifth year, aims to improve teaching and learning in the arts by supporting and promoting sustainable partnerships between community arts education organizations and public schools. Objectives include the distribution of grants of up to $20,000 to support arts education partnerships during the 2009-2010 school year and the production of the Partners in Excellence: Arts Education Partnerships Institute in conjunction with the Guild's annual Conference for Community Arts Education (Nov. 11-14, 2009, in Minneapolis, MN).

MetLife Foundation Partners in Arts Education Grants are designed to support exemplary partnerships which

• demonstrate best practices in creating and sustaining effective collaborations;
• serve large numbers of public school students;
• provide sound arts education experiences;
• prioritize student learning and achievement; and
• address national, state, and/or local arts education standards.

During the current school year, more than 12,000 students at 53 public schools in eight cities are receiving year-long arts instruction thanks to 15 partnerships funded last year by the Partners in Arts Education Program.

National Guild Executive Director Jonathan Herman said: "Over the past two decades, the National Guild has researched and identified best practices for high quality arts education partnerships that have powerful long-term effects on students, faculty, institutions, and communities. The continuance of the MetLife Foundation Partners in Arts Education Program promotes and supports these practices, thereby increasing access to quality arts education for public school children across America."

"MetLife Foundation is proud to renew its partnership with the National Guild to make quality arts education accessible for children across the country," stated Dennis White, president and CEO, MetLife Foundation. "We believe that the arts play a vital role in promoting learning, understanding of the world and its diverse cultures and enriching communities. Guild members are doing outstanding work in arts education and strengthening the entire field."

Application guidelines and program details are available at www.nationalguild.org/programs/partners.htm. Grants are restricted to the 38 cities listed in the guidelines. The application deadline is May 23, 2009.

The National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts is America's service association for organizations that provide access to high quality arts education so that all people may participate in the arts according to their interests and abilities. The Guild's national network encompasses community arts schools; arts centers; and education divisions of museums, universities, local arts agencies and performing arts companies, among others. Collectively, the Guild's 400+ member institutions provide arts instruction to more than one million students each year, often in collaboration with public schools, after-school programs, hospitals, senior centers, and social service agencies to increase communities' access to arts education. www.nationalguild.org

MetLife Foundation was established by MetLife to continue the company's long tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. The Foundation supports programs that improve education, promote health, encourage parental involvement and family engagement, help revitalize neighborhoods and stress accessibility and inclusion. The Foundation contributes to arts and cultural organizations across the United States, with an emphasis on increasing opportunities for young people, reaching broad audiences through inclusive programming, and making arts more accessible for all people. For more information about the Foundation, please visit its web site at www.metlife.org.

Contact: Ms. Jay Samios (212) 268-3337 ext. 12 jaysamios@nationalguild.org Ms. Sarah Faria (401) 827-3906 sfaria@metlife.com

SOURCE MetLife Foundation

Source: PR Newswire

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