Partnership for 21st Century Skills
October 8, 2010Imagination Intensive Community is Awarded!
This past week Carol Trimble, executive director from Maine Alliance for Arts Education and arts consultant Dennie Wolf traveled to Washington D.C. to the National Education Summit of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. While there they accepted a national Best Practice Award from P21 for Maine’s Imagination Intensive Communities project!
Dr. Steven Paine, West Virginia superintendent of schools and chair of the P21 state partner advisory council, said of the nine states/programs that received awards, “These states are shining examples of best practices related to 21st century learning. This summit provides an extraordinary illustration for the nation and states as to how to build education systems that ensure 21st century college and career readiness for every student.”
A member of the selection panel spoke to Dennie and Carol and said: “Maine’s project was the most innovative of all of the projects they reviewed.”
This project is one that we all can be proud of! The Maine Department of Education has partnered with the Maine Alliance of Arts Education with funding from the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Arts Commission, The Betterment Fund, and the Kennedy Center to make this program possible.
Special CONGRATULATIONS to the the Imagination Intensity Community sites selected during 2010: North Haven, Arundel, York, George Stevens Academy, Camden-Rockport, and Stonington-Deer Isle. You can read earlier blog posts on each of these communities by typing their name in the meartsed search box on the front page. Funding has just been awarded from the Kennedy Center for the 2011 Imagination Intensive Community work.
me arts ed 
Isn’t it great to hear that Maine has finally been recognized for doing something right?! I’m so tired of doom and gloom when it comes to our educational system.
Thanks Nancy! We know there are great experiences in arts classrooms throughout the state for young people. Periodically we need to take time to reflect on those opportunities and than “shout” about them for others to learn about. The Imagination Intensive Communities work gives schools and communities that unique opportunity to come together and recognize the creative work. Please spread the word so we can identify more communities for 2011.
Absolutely right about Maine being recognized. We think about fish and lumber, wind and water as the state’s natural resources. But small and mid-sized communities that know and value their young people are one of the state’s biggest assets. When such communities pull together to support the imaginative development of their kids — there is nothing like it. Let’s keep it going. Please help us identify other communities to recognize for Round 2. Small or large, digital or face-to-face, passing down traditional crafts or innovating new ways to do science, art, farming or boat building.
It is no accident that Maine is home to innovation and great ideas. Throughout my tenure with the Partners in Arts & Learning grant program, I saw exciting and life-changing arts programs supported by small communities far away from larger town/city resources, led by amazing artist educators willing to share their expertise and passion with the next generation and their communities. Maine has a creative economy on so many levels, and in communities large and small. I love the independent can-do spirit of Maine!
This is something to be truly proud of. All of the communities who were involved in the Imagination Intensive Communities are great examples of collaborative efforts that make possible creative opportunities for everyone. Community, collaboration, creativity, communication – all 21st Century skills that we need to model for and teach our kids!