Book-It Selected to attend the Kennedy Center's 'Partners in Education Institute' this May

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts selected 14 teams of arts organizations and school systems from across the nation to participate in the Partners in Education Institute, May 5-8, 2010 at the Kennedy Center. The announcement was made December 22, 2009. The Institute, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the National Committee for the Performing Arts, and the Kennedy Center Corporate Fund, promotes partnerships in communities across the country between arts organizations and local school districts, focusing on the development of arts education programs for teachers. Local companies Book-It and Seattle Rep, along with and South Kitsap School District #402 will attend together.

The Institute, a national event held at the Kennedy Center, provides training and information to design an effective arts and arts integration professional development program for teachers in their communities. Participants will have the opportunity to observe established professional development workshops in action at the Kennedy Center, with teachers in attendance. They will also participate in content sessions that prepare them to plan, implement, and evaluate professional development in the arts and arts integration for teachers. There are also sessions that address budgetary and staffing implications for these partnerships.

The new teams will join the existing 90 teams from 44 states and the District of Columbia currently participating in the Partners in Education program. In addition to this institute, the program holds an annual conference in Washington, where attendees exchange ideas and address issues facing their communities.

Book-It Repertory Theatre will be represented at the institute this May by Education Director Annie Lareau, M.Ed., and Managing Director Charlotte Tiencken.

"The Kennedy Center is proud to provide a platform to help schools and arts organizations to better serve their communities," said Darrell M. Ayers, Vice President of Education at the Kennedy Center. "Arts integration workshops for teachers help provide a more complete education for students. We are always impressed with the exchange of ideas at the Partners in Education Institute."

Nearly 1,000 teachers from 16 public school systems in the Washington metropolitan area attend 60 Kennedy Center events each year. The events are designed for teachers working at the pre-school through high-school levels.

Book-It Repertory Theatre is currently celebrating 20 seasons of bringing literature to life on stage; Book-It All Over (BIAO) is the company's education arm and has been touring youth literature in the Book-It style to schools, libraries, and community centers in the Puget Sound region and beyond for 13 years. More than 65,000 students see performances and attend workshops in BIAO's 260+ visits each year.

About Education at The Kennedy Center: For more than 35 years, the Kennedy Center has provided quality arts educational experiences through performances, residencies, workshops, conferences, career development programs, symposia, and on-line and print resources. In the past year, the Center's education programs have directly impacted more than 16 million people across the nation. The educational mission of the Kennedy Center is to foster understanding of and participation in the arts through exemplary programs and performances for diverse populations of all ages that represent the unique cultural life and heritage of the United States. For more information, visit the Center's Web site at www.kennedy-center.org/education and www.vsaarts.org.