Date: Jan 05, 2011

Hofstra University School of Education, Health and Human Services is Selected for the Kennedy Center Partners in Education Institute

Hofstra joins the Great Neck Arts Center and Plainview/Old Bethpage Central School District in the program, which enhances arts in education and professional development for teachers.

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY - The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has selected Hofstra University's School of Education, Health and Human Services for their Partners in Education program.  As the only higher education partner in Long Island, Hofstra is the newest addition to the New York/Long Island Partnership team which includes the Great Neck Arts Center and Plainview/Old Bethpage Central School District. 

The Kennedy Center Partners in Education program strives to integrate the arts into classroom curriculum so that the arts remain a constant presence in the daily lives of students and teachers. On February 16-19, 2011, Hofstra will send representatives to the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC for a four-day institute to examine planning strategies for arts development programs in local schools. The team will work together to implement extended professional development experiences for teachers, including selecting guest artists to work with Plainview-Old Bethpage students and teachers, and Hofstra University student-teachers.  The New York/Long Island Partnership team also plans to sponsor professional development opportunities involving Kennedy Center artists for educators throughout the region. 

"Hofstra University is proud to become an affiliate of the Partners in Education Institute," said Donna Levinson, Assistant Dean of External Relations at Hofstra and designated representative of the partnership.  "The goals of the institute fall right in line with our message to the students of our School of Education, Health and Human Services; that arts education is an essential part of educating ‘the whole person' and providing that knowledge to our future teachers will enable them to always make the arts a part of their curriculum in new and innovative ways.  With programs that lead to teacher certification in Dance Education, Fine Arts Education and Music Education, as well as the presence of the Hofstra Museum on campus, the University has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to the arts. The Kennedy Center affiliation is another manifestation of how much we value arts education.

Regina Gil, Executive Director of the Great Neck Arts Center agreed. "The Great Neck Arts Center has been an affiliate of the Kennedy Center Partners in Education Institute since 1996. Partnering with Hofstra University expands our ability to bring excellent educators in the arts into the classrooms and to the professional training and development workshops we provide for teachers in the region.  In addition, the philosophy and strategies involved in arts integration can be brought directly to the artists and arts educators now studying at Hofstra University, so that they become advocates for arts integration in their own classrooms when they enter the workplace."

"Plainview-Old Bethpage will benefit greatly as we expand our Kennedy Center Arts in Education Partnership to include Hofstra University," said Judith Chen, Director of Art at the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District.  "Having a partner in higher education will provide a perspective for students who are interested in pursuing further education in the arts or considering the arts as a career option.  Hofstra's commitment to excellence in arts education will forge a strong alliance with the Great Neck Arts Center and the Plainview-Old Bethpage Schools." 

For more information about The Kennedy Center Partners in Education visit
www.kennedy-center.org/education/partners

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution of higher education where more than 12,000 full and part-time students choose from undergraduate and graduate offerings in liberal arts and sciences, business, engineering, communication, education, health and human services, honors studies, a School of Law and the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine.  With a small average class size (22 students) and low student-teacher ratio (14-1), the University also provides excellent facilities with state-of-the-art technology, extensive library resources and internship programs that match students' interests and abilities with appropriate companies and organizations.  The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future.  Located in Nassau County, New York, on over 240 acres, the University is less than an hour from midtown Manhattan.

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