Shifting the Educational Focus: Can the Arts Help Students Thrive in a Global Economy?
Tuesday, October 19, 9:30 am – 11:00 am
Organized by Julie Fry, program officer, Performing Arts, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Presented by Richard Kessler, executive director, The Center for Arts Education; Bob Lenz, CEO and founder, Envision Schools; Chris Shearer, program officer, Education, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Recognizing that America's schools must shift focus to help students succeed, The Hewlett Foundation's Education Program recently introduced a strategic plan to support a quality education that includes 21st century workforce skills. This "deeper learning" approach embraces a series of skills that enables K-12 students to go beyond the basics and master core academic content by learning to think critically, collaborate, communicate, and learn independently—proficiencies that the arts can engender. This panel will share different perspectives on the opportunities and challenges of this approach and will engage participants in a lively debate on how to effectively weave the arts into preparing young people for their future in a fiercely competitive and complex global economy.
