Pennsylvania-Based Nonprofit Makes Online Content and Support Available at No Cost to High Schools and Students in the Keystone State

MIDLAND, Pa., March 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, a nonprofit arts and education organization based in Midland, Beaver County, is offering digital courses, content, and support to Pennsylvania school districts struggling to provide online instruction to students during the current state-wide closure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through its ARTiFact: Content for Learning program, Lincoln Park offers a variety of standards-aligned courses and other digital resources, including comprehensive core and elective high school content, media-rich courses in the creative and performing arts, STEM studies, and an award-winning series of Career Technology Education (CTE) courses tied to national certification standards. These services are being offered, and will be provided, regardless of a school's ability to pay.

"There is really no precedent for the crisis we are in right now, particularly when it comes to keeping our kids learning while school buildings are closed," says Stephen Catanzarite, Lincoln Park's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

"Our Governor and state department of education are asking everyone to step up during this crisis to promote and protect the common good of our fellow citizens, and that includes finding alternatives to traditional brick-and-mortar learning. Lincoln Park is in a position to be of service by offering districts some solutions and support for maintaining continuity of learning while schools remain closed."

Catanzarite says that Lincoln Park is particularly interested in helping school districts in historically under-served communities in both rural and urban settings.

Schools interested in learning about Lincoln Park's offerings are asked to send an inquiry to [email protected]. Online meetings will be used to discuss a school's individual needs and demonstrate available course offerings. Lincoln Park can provide course content via its own learning management system (LMS), or push content to a school's LMS. Catanzarite stresses that the courses and content available through Lincoln Park's ARTiFact program include not only arts classes and other electives, but also core high school academics, including algebra and advanced mathematics, biology and other sciences, literature, and foreign languages.

"We've actually been advocating for a number of years that online learning be included in both state and federal emergency preparedness planning, so our team is ready to do what we can to help schools, students, families, and communities adapt and respond to this challenge," Catanzarite says.

"Our ARTiFact team includes professional educators experienced in curriculum development for online learning, the use of technology for delivering content and instruction, and the design and administration of cyber schooling programs. We want to help our fellow educators in Pennsylvania ramp up their ability to continue caring for and serving their students in any way we can."

The region's premier arts-and-education destination, Lincoln Park is located in a beautiful park setting in Midland (Beaver County) Pennsylvania. The Center is home to the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, and creates authentic, real-world learning opportunities for young people by offering high-quality, professionally-produced musicals, plays, concerts, ballets, readings, and exhibits for patrons of all ages. For more information, visit www.LincolnParkArts.org.

A service of Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, ARTiFact: Content for Learning creates, curates, and distributes digital educational resources to inspire, enhance, and extend learning in and through the creative and performing arts and across the core academic curriculum. ARTiFact's high school arts curriculum, ArtsAnywhere, provides high school students a comprehensive offing of courses in music, theater, dance, visual and media arts, career readiness, and STEAM. These courses feature expert instruction supported by engaging media, all guided by seasoned teachers who are also working artists.

SOURCE Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center

Related Links

lincolnparkarts.org