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.