WASHINGTON, DC — Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts, announced today that it is presenting the 2011 Arts Education Award to Arts for All, L.A. County’s nationally recognized collaboration to restore all arts disciplines into the core curriculum for all K-12 public school students. Presented annually by the Arts Education Council of Americans for the Arts since 2007, the award honors the best in arts education program design and execution and organizational leadership. Arts for All will receive its award on June 16 at the Americans for the Arts Annual Convention in San Diego.

“Particularly at a time when school districts face increasingly dire fiscal circumstances, Arts for All’s steady commitment and support has kept arts education at the forefront of school and community leaders’ consciousness in Los Angeles County,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts.

Since 2002, Arts for All has used a pragmatic approach to assist school districts as they build the infrastructure – arts education policies, plans, resources and school district personnel – to support quality, sequential arts education in dance, music, theatre and visual arts and move arts education from moral imperative to classroom reality. Utilizing a host of strategies including school district coaches, online resources, professional development, advocacy trainings and matching funds, it empowers school districts and builds their capacity to implement strategic plans for delivering arts education to their students.

Thanks to the long-term collaboration between the L.A. County Arts Commission, Office of Education, and a host of regional partners, arts education in L.A. County has seen significant improvement across key school district indicators for the first time in more than a generation. Today, Arts for All currently works with 44 school districts in Los Angeles County while partnering with the largest, Los Angeles Unified School District, and supporting 36 others. Leading scholars and funders—including the RAND Corporation, The Wallace Foundation, and National Endowment for the Arts—have recognized Arts for All for its creative approach and its progress.

“We are extremely honored to receive this award from Americans for the Arts. It is our hope that our work in L.A. County will provide a model for school districts across the country that are committed to including sequential, standard-based K-12 arts education in the core curriculum,” commented Laura Zucker, Executive Director of L.A. County Arts Commission.

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, it has a record of more than 50 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.