Last week, the Lincoln Center announced a new, alternative initiative to educate and certify arts educators in three years who will be placed in up to 120 New York inner city schools. The Lincoln Center is partnering with CUNY’s Hunter College School of Education, the New York City Department of Education, and the United Federation of Teachers to launch the “Lincoln Center Scholars Alternative Certification Program.” 

In its press release, the Lincoln Center stated that it is “the first performing arts organization in the U.S. to partner with a higher education institution to create an alternative certification path for future arts educators.” The program was launched as a response to Comptroller Scott Stringer’s study on the status of arts education in New York City public schools. The program will begin this fall with 20 open spots. All schools who hire a Lincoln Center Scholar will receive a salary subsidy from the state’s Department of Education.