The Arts Education Program provides children in elementary and middle schools with opportunities to experience the arts through several venues.  Folk art and art performances are provided to both urban and rural Clark County students through "Class Act".  The County works in partnership with the Clark County School District's School-Community Partnership Program, the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts "Artists as Educators" Program and the Smith Center for the Performing Arts.

Through the Kennedy Center Partnership Program local artists have been trained as workshop leaders.  These artists then present workshops designed to train teachers how to incorporate a wide variety of art disciplines into their normal academic curriculum.

Through this tested and proven means of professional development, this program presents the required academic subjects in a new way that is eagerly accepted and absorbed by young students who enjoy education are less likely to abandon it before high school graduation.

For the third year in a row, The Arts Education Program was awarded approximately $7,000 from the "YOUTHREACH Nevada" Grant from the Nevada Arts Council.  In addition, The Arts Education Program was recently awarded a grant from the Nevada Arts Council of $1,290 to support its first Artist in Residency program. The grant will be based at the Winchester Cultural Center. The Artist in Residency program also received two Nevada Arts Council T.A.D.A grants.  These funds paid artists who have been previously selected and trained by the partnership, to visit rural schools and present workshops to teachers.

Those workshops provided new teaching strategies, such as drama, tableau and other techniques.  Each school visited was given a video, a teachers handbook, and a CD for the school library, where teachers can easily access the workshop materials for years to come.  The use of theater, visual arts, music, and dance has been proven to help engage students who are learning core academic subjects, and improve their ability in those subjects.

ATTENTION TEACHERS - Looking for a way to enhance your school’s cultural celebrations? Click Here