Media Contact
Katie Murray, Director
Orange County Arts Commission
kmurray@orangecountync.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OCAC ARTS EDUCATOR GRANT RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED
ORANGE COUNTY, NC (May 30, 2023)
The Orange County Arts Commission has selected four arts educators as recipients of its Arts Educator Grant Program. Arts Educator Grants are available to public school arts educators in Orange County Public Schools and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools seeking professional and/or artistic development.
Recipients of the 2023 Arts Educator Professional Development Grant are:
- Adam Canosa teaches General Music to grades 1 – 5 at Hillsborough Elementary. Adam will be using his grant for funding to attend International Society for Technology in Education, which is one of the biggest and most reputable educational technology conferences in the US. This year, it will be in Philadelphia, PA.
- Alexis Kagel teaches General Music to grades 1 – 5 at Central Elementary in Hillsborough. Alexis will be using her grant to complete Level III, the final level, of her Orff Schulwerk certification, which teaches participants instructional strategies for pedagogy and musicianship geared toward music in education settings.
- Lee Means teaches Art to grades Pre-K – 5 at Mary Scroggs Elementary in Chapel Hill. Lee will be using her grant to attend this year’s NCAE conference in Durham. The grant will help pay for the fees and a substitute teacher.
- Cheri Thomas teaches Music to grades Pre-K – 5 at Efland Cheeks Global Elementary. Cheri will be using her grant to complete Level I of the Orff Schulwerk Certification, a two-week workshop at George Mason University for developing the skills and concepts for creating a teacher’s active music-making curriculum.
The program provides $500 grants for a variety of expenses and assists arts educators in advancing their careers. The grants can be used toward:
- Travel expenses related to travel, workshops or seminars, or to do research related to his/her art form
- Expenses related to workshops, master classes, or coaching that will enhance the teacher’s abilities and/or allow the acquisition of Continuing Education Units
- Purchase of supplies, materials, or equipment necessary for the production of work which is considered to be essential to the advancement of his/her teaching career
The arts educator grant program will reopen in spring, 2024.
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Created in 1985 as the official government agency on the arts by a Resolution of the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), the Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC) serves as a clearinghouse for arts information, facilitator of arts programs and advisor to the Orange County Board of County Commissioners regarding the arts. As the Designated County Partner of the North Carolina Arts Council in Orange County since 1985, the OCAC is responsible for sub-granting state and county funds to arts organizations, schools and artists throughout the county. Our mission is to promote and strengthen the artistic and cultural development of Orange County, North Carolina.
