Recognition

Celebrate the ARTS! honors outstanding schools
We know that where students learn through the arts (visual, music, dance, drama), it increases their success in all academic areas and greatly enhances their quality of life. The annual Arts Excellence Awards recognize those schools where such education is taking place. Public and independent schools are selected from statewide applications. See a list of schools (pdf)

2009 ARTS FIRST Honors Educators

Hawai‘i Arts Alliance honors educators who support arts in the classroom

Every year Hawai‘i Arts Alliance is hosts “ARTS FIRST Honors” – to applaud teachers who have completed professional development in the arts in the previous two years. For every 32 hours of coursework accomplished in this two year period, teachers earn a Certificate of Study Award.

DOE teachers from across the State who earn professional development credit in the arts are invited to this special reception with education administrators, and other special guests. This year, on May 2, 2009, Pat Hamamoto, Superindendent, Hawai‘i State Department of Education, presented the accomplished educators with their study award certificates. Keynote presentation was delivered by Iggy Jang, Concert Master for The Honolulu Symphony.

This was the third annual event hosted by the Hawai‘i Arts Alliance in an effort to recognize our DOE teachers for their central role in the lives of our youth, and their persistence to keep the arts in the classroom against funding shortfalls, and other lack of resources.

Hawai‘i Arts Alliance, in partnership with Hawai‘i Department of Education, and the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, has been offering summer institutes since 1995 and professional development workshops in the arts since 2001 as part of ARTS FIRST. These classes are aligned with Hawai‘i Content and Performance Standards and include creating, performing/exhibiting, and responding to art.

ARTS FIRST formally came into existence when the Hawai`i State Legislature enacted ACT 80/99 in 1999. The enabling legislation named the arts as a core subject in Hawai`i prior to a national mandate. It also called for Hawai`i’s major stakeholders in arts education to revise the State’s Fine Arts standards and develop a strategic plan. In 2001, ACT 306/01 was passed into law formally naming the ARTS FIRST Partners and mandating the implementation of the strategic plan.

The ARTS FIRST Partners are State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Hawai‘i Arts Alliance, Hawai‘i Department of Education, Hawai‘i Association of Independent Schools, University of Hawai‘i College of Education, and University of Hawai‘i College of Arts & Humanities. The vision of the ARTS FIRST Partners is Arts for Every Child.

Click on the picture below to see the ARTS FIRST Honors Educators 2009 gallery!

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