PRESS RELEASE
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Contact: Susan Jarvis, (501) 733-3164, aplusjarvis@gmail.com
February 21, 2013
PIONEER OF ART-FOCUSED EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS
TO GIVE KEYNOTE LECTURE DURING MARCH 15 WORKSHOP
By Paige Turner
College of Fine Arts and Communication Media Office
CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas, in partnership with the Thea Foundation’s Arkansas A+ Schools, will present a lecture by Bill Strickland, an expert on art-focused educational systems, on Friday, March 15, in the College of Business Auditorium.
The Strickland lecture will be part of a 10 a.m.-3 p.m. event, free and open to the public.
According to aplusarkansas.org, there is no affiliation between the Arkansas A+ Schools whole school reform initiative and the A+ Arkansas Campaign.
The all-day event will include several sessions on art-inspired education. Strickland, the keynote speaker, is president and CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corp. He will focus his visit to the UCA campus on the importance of art being used in elementary school education and in the community as a whole.
Susan Jarvis, special events coordinator for UCA, said she hoped that individuals in the field of education come from all over the region and state for the information. Students from the departments of education, business and leadership studies are also strongly encouraged to attend and engage in the open discussions scheduled.
“We want to attract an audience of educators and community leaders passionate about bolstering the education for our elementary school kids and using creativity with those children,” Jarvis said.
The day will begin at 10 a.m. in the McCastlain Hall Ballroom with sign-in and a light breakfast. Lectures will begin at 10:30 a.m. with a presentation on incorporating the arts into the elementary curriculum presented by Dr. Jeff Young, chair of the UCA Department of Art, and Dr. Paige Rose, associate professor of music education. The workshop, titled “Linking Music, Art and Science,” will focus on collaborative activities aimed at integrating music, art and weather concepts in the Arkansas Frameworks.
Following an hour break for lunch, Strickland will lecture on his famed theme, “Make the Impossible Possible,” at 1:30 p.m. in the College of Business Auditorium. The day-long event will conclude at 2:40 p.m. in the College of Business lobby with a book signing featuring Strickland’s book, Make the Impossible Possible.
“Bill Strickland is a very dynamic speaker with a lot of experience in addressing how to engage communities and young people,” Jarvis said. “I think Bill Strickland will inspire teachers and community leaders to impact the people around them by showing someone that they can achieve more than they think they can.”
To register for the event, visit the event’s website. http://transform-ed-es2002.eventbrite.com/?rank=1#
For more information, contact Jarvis at (501) 733-3164 or aplusjarvis@gmail.com.
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