Summary:
Mayor Dyer will recognize two outstanding arts education programs: The Orlando Ballet School and A Gift For Music. Marcia Hope Goodwin, Chief Service Officer, will introduce Jim Mitchell, Executive Director of the Orlando Ballet and Eric Smith, Director of A Gift For Music, for a brief summary of each award. Afterwards, Mayor Dyer will take a photo with students, teachers and leaders of each award-winning organization.
- The Orlando Ballet School received the 2014 "Outstanding School Award", a designation that is presented to only one school internationally, by the Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP), which is the world's largest student ballet scholarship competition. Ten students represented Orlando Ballet School, which is led by Director, Dierdre Miles Burger. The Orlando Ballet School has delivered outstanding dance programs to Central Floridians and visitors for 40 years, with more than 600 local youth enrolled annually.
- A Gift For Music (AGFM), a program of A Gift For Teaching, was selected by the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities as one of 50 finalists for the 2014 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, which is the nation's highest honor for out-of-school arts programs that celebrate the creativity of America's young people, particularly those from underserved communities. A Gift For Music is the first arts education program in Orlando, and the only program in Florida, to be honored with this national award. Since 1999, AGFM has trained 8,000 children in third through 12th grades by engaging the finest string music educators in Central Florida as mentors.
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