NEW VIDEO: LAA+ Students Talk Arts Integration

New Video: LAA+ Students Talk Arts Integration, Academic Success, and FUN

We are pleased to present a new video featuring the students of Louisiana A+ Schools! Hear their perspectives on how arts integration is transforming their classrooms, improving their academic performance, and bringing out the best in students.

Irvin Mayfield Inspires Students at Homer Elementary School

Last week, the students of Homer Elementary School in Homer, LA, welcomed a very special guest to their classrooms. Irvin Mayfield, a Grammy and Billboard Award-winning jazz trumpeter, was there to see first-hand how arts integration is transforming this Turnaround Arts: Louisiana school.

As one of three Turnaround Arts schools in the state, Homer Elementary School has been adopted by Turnaround Artists like Mayfield, who seek to inspire students to pursue their academic goals through the arts, as well as draw attention to the impact the arts are having on their school's revitalization.

In 2014, the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts was selected by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities to implement the Turnaround Arts initiative at three schools in the state using the Louisiana A+ Schools method of arts integration. Already the teachers and students of our Turnaround A+ Schools are embracing the arts in curriculum -- creative projects line the halls, music can be heard in classrooms, and student engagement is reaching new heights.

2015 LAA+ Schools Application Deadline EXTENDED

Please note: The deadline to submit a Letter of Interest for Louisiana A+ Schools has been extended to January 23, 2015! Click here to learn more about requirements and the application process.

Announcing 2015 Application Process & Professional Development with Crayola

2015 Application Process Now Open!

The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA) announces the 2015/2016 application process for Louisiana A+ Schools (LAA+).

"We are thrilled to grow the A+ Network in Louisiana," says Jacques Rodrigue, Executive Director of GRFA. "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."

How To Apply

If your school is interested in applying to be part of LAA+ Schools, the statewide application process first requires schools to submit a Letter of Interest to the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts. A link to this form, along with the 4 steps to the application process, can be found at www.aplusla.org.

Letters of interest are due January 23, 2015.

Please be aware that schools applying to LAA+ will be asked to provide a $75,000 payment that can be distributed over three years. Full and partial scholarships are available on a needs basis. Schools accepted into the LAA+ Schools make a commitment to a three-year implementation process. This includes customized professional development training for full faculty based on the school's needs, attendance at an annual LAA+ Summer Institute (including room and board), professional development for school leadership, and art supplies for the entire school. A sampling of schools may also be asked to participate in a 3-year quasi-experimental evaluation.

Click Here To Register

Professional Development with Crayola

An essential component of LAA+ is our dedication to professional development for all educators in our network of nine schools. Each school is offered two Full Faculty Professional Development (FFPD) sessions a year where Louisiana A+ Fellows lead customized workshops in arts integration methods. In addition to FFPD, all educators attend the LAA+ Summer Institute for a week of intensive training.

On Monday, teachers from St. Helena Arts & Technology Academy, Homer A. Plessy Community School, Grace Episcopal School, and The Dufrocq School gathered for FFPD.

St. Helena Arts & Technology Academy and Homer A. Plessy Community School are also Turnaround Art: Louisiana schools with the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Crayola is a proud partner of the Turnaround Arts initiative and provided our teachers with free Crayola products, information about grants for schools, and sessions focused on creativity, critical thinking, and literacy.