First Lady Honors Washington Pavilion's Action Arts & Science Program and More

Chofian (JuJu) Abokbar age 17, and Rose Ann Hofland, Director of the Washington Pavilion Community Learning Center, went to the White House today, November 17 to receive an award from First Lady Michelle Obama on behalf of the Washington Pavilion's Action Arts & Science Program (AASP), which was recognized for its effectiveness in promoting learning and life skills in young people by engaging them in the creative youth development programs. The after-school program received the 2015 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, the nation's highest honor for these programs.

In case you missed it, watch the full ceremony here!

Speaking at the ceremony, First Lady Michelle Obama said: "The evidence is crystal clear. We know what arts means to kids. Kids who get involved in the arts and humanities, they have higher grades. They have higher graduation rates. They have higher college-enrollment rates. We all know that. We quote these statistics every time we get together, but we don't need stats to understand the power of the arts and humanities. We don't need to read the research. All we have to do is ask the students who are with us today.

"...let's take Chofian Abokbar...I feel like I know you because I've read so much about you guys. It's good to see your faces. When Chofian arrived in South Dakota from Turkey four years ago, she didn't speak a word of English. She couldn't even spell her name. But when she attended the Washington Pavilion program, she got involved with the arts, and now she's chatting up a storm, we understand -- (laughter) -- as a star volunteer with the program."

The National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award recognizes the country's best creative youth development programs for using engagement in the arts and the humanities to increase academic achievement, graduation rates, and college enrollment. The awardees-chosen from a pool of 335 nominees from 50 states and the District of Columbia-were also recognized for improving literacy and language abilities, communication and performance skills, and cultural awareness.

First presented in 1998, the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award is the signature program of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH). The awards are presented annually in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

AASP's mission is to bring high quality art and science experiences to children with limited access to extracurricular activities. Since its founding 1999 the program has grown to now engage more than 500 young people each weekly in meaningful afterschool programming at over 20 locations throughout Sioux Falls.

In addition to the national recognition bestowed by receipt of the prestigious award, AASP will also receive $10,000 to support its programming and engage more young people from the community.

The National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award is the nation's highest honor for after-school arts and humanities programs. The award recognizes and supports outstanding programs that lay new pathways to creativity, expression, and achievement outside of the regular school day. These programs excite and engage a range of students, cultivating imagination, collaboration, discipline and academic success, with demonstrable results.

For more information about AASP visit www.washingtonpavilion.org. For more information about the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards, visit www.pcah.gov.

The Washington Pavilion is the region's home for the arts, entertainment and science. Located in a beautifully renovated historic building in downtown Sioux Falls, it is one of only a few facilities in the world to bring together under one roof the performing arts, visual arts and interactive science. The vast array of high quality programming and educational activities available through the Husby Performing Arts Center, Kirby Science Discovery Center, Visual Arts Center and the Community Learning Center ensures that people of all ages and walks of life can rely upon the Washington Pavilion to entertain, inspire, educate and enrich. There is, indeed, something for everyone here. For information about our programs, call (605) 367-7397 or, (toll free) at 1-877-Wash Pav or visit our website at www.washingtonpavilion.org.

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