NEWARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Prudential Foundation has again awarded a $10,000 grant to the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville to continue “The Prudential Art Makes a Difference Program.” The program will help local school teachers bring the arts into their classrooms and provide cultural opportunities to underserved students.
“Thanks to The Prudential Foundation, more students will receive enriching arts experiences and more teachers will be able to incorporate the arts into their curriculum,” said Robert Arleigh White, Cultural Council Executive Director. “Research shows us that the arts improve educational outcomes, and through the three-pronged approach of ‘The Prudential Art Makes a Difference Program,’ we have the potential to create greater impact.”
Funding from The Prudential Foundation will enable the Cultural Council to:
- Award five $500 grants to Duval County public school teachers through its Arts Education Enrichment Grant Program. These grants encourage teachers of any subject to develop creative arts and cultural projects. Funding may be used for field trips, in-school assemblies, school-wide festivals, materials, supplies and equipment, and visiting artists’ fees.
- Provide program management for the Kennedy Center Summer Institute (KCSI), a week-long professional development conference for area educators. The conference is presented in partnership with the University of North Florida Fine Arts Center and the Duval County Public Schools. KCSI focuses on ways teachers can integrate the arts more broadly in their curriculum. This provides more opportunities for students to have artistic experiences, addresses the different ways students learn, and makes school more fun and engaging. The conference is conducted by Kennedy Center presenters, nationally recognized educators who are also artists in their own right.
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Offer arts education outreach to underserved students at branch
libraries and Title I schools. Student outreach will be administered
through a partnership with two area arts organizations:
- Theatre Jacksonville will offer improvisation workshops called, “Imagine It!” at 10 different branch libraries in underserved neighborhoods during early-release Wednesdays.
- Theatreworks will present in-school performances to 800 local students by nationally recognized storyteller Doug Berky. His “Gems-World Wisdom” program celebrates the differences in others and helps students appreciate each person’s talents and individuality.
“We see arts as an important educational tool. Our grant to the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville underscores our commitment to ensuring that every child has access to the arts and quality education,” said Gabriella Morris, president of The Prudential Foundation. “Prudential has maintained a major presence in Florida since 1953, and Jacksonville is one of the cities across the country where The Prudential Foundation focuses its efforts.”
Each year, The Prudential Foundation invests more than $25 million in grants that support the revitalization of communities. The Prudential Foundation focuses on education, economic development, the arts and civic infrastructure.
The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville works to advance the appreciation and expression of art and culture by increasing community awareness of cultural activities and issues, providing arts education programs, and offering funding and technical assistance to cultural organizations and individual artists.
About The Prudential Foundation
The Prudential Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation supported by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, a subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc. To promote sustainable communities and improve social outcomes for community residents, The Prudential Foundation focuses its grant making strategy in the areas of education, economic development and arts and civic infrastructure. In addition, the Foundation also supports the community engagement efforts of Prudential employees through Matching Gifts and other special programs that recognize their volunteer efforts. The Prudential Foundation is a unit of Prudential’s Community Resources Department, which also includes the Social Investment Program, which originates and manages socially beneficial investments; and Local Initiatives, which coordinates employee volunteerism and fosters community outreach. For more information visit www.prudentialfoundation.org.
About Prudential
Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader with approximately $750 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2010, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential’s diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds, investment management, and real estate services. In the U.S., Prudential’s iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit http://www.news.prudential.com/