The Orange County Arts Commission has selected four arts educators to be recipients of its newly established Arts Educator Professional Development Grant Program. Ryan E. Ellefsen from East Chapel Hill High School, Kristen Morgan from Chapel Hill High School, Elaine Algarra from East Chapel Hill High School, and Sarah Cornette from Mary Scroggs Elementary have all received mini-grants to aid in their professional development as arts educators.
- Ryan E. Ellefsen teaches Instrumental Music to grades 9-12 at East Chapel Hill High School and plans to use this grant to hire a tutor to give lessons to his bass players in the string orchestra class.
- Kristen Morgan teaches Ceramics and Cultural Arts to grades 9-12 at Chapel Hill High School and plans to use this grant to attend the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Conference to expand her knowledge of the craft.
- Elaine Algarra teaches Visual Art to grades 9-12 at East Chapel Hill High School and plans to use this grant to attend either the AP Studio Art Institute in Atlanta or the SCAD Art Educators Forum in Savannah.
- Sarah Cornette teaches Visual Art to grades K-5 at Mary Scroggs Elementary and plans to use this grant to attend a workshop at Penland School of Arts and Crafts this summer.
The arts educator grant program will reopen at the start of the new fiscal year on July 1.