Education Development Center, Inc.|
For Immediate Release June 14, 2007 Contact: EDC to Develop Curriculum for California High Schools Focus on the arts, media, and entertainment NEWTON, MA – Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) has been awarded a $2.77 million grant from The James Irvine Foundation to develop an interdisciplinary high school curriculum for California focused on the arts, media, and entertainment industry sectors. Under the three-year grant agreement, EDC will develop an interdisciplinary career technical education (CTE) curriculum that addresses national and California state standards for grades 9 and 10. The curriculum will introduce students to knowledge and skills applicable to the three career pathways. The curriculum will also include integrated units for English language arts, math, science, and social studies to help teachers link these subjects with applications in arts, media, and entertainment. To help teachers implement the new curriculum in California schools, EDC will develop and deliver a professional development program, including a weeklong summer institute, a 3-day workshop, online events, and leadership training. The new curriculum, called “Making Connections,” will offer students engaging and challenging opportunities that will prepare them to pursue their interests in the arts, media, and entertainment when they go off to college or join the workplace. For teachers, using the curriculum will offer innovative approaches to inquiry- and project-based teaching and learning. “Through this exciting work, EDC hopes to build an educational community in California with a vested interest in connecting classroom learning with real-world experience,” says Vivian Guilfoy, EDC Senior Vice President and Director of Education, Employment, and Community Programs, who will work closely with Ilene Kantrov, Director of EDC's Center for Educational Resources and Outreach, on the project. In developing the curriculum, EDC will partner with representatives from the arts, media, and entertainment industries, with a network of schools across the state, and with the Irvine Foundation-funded ConnectEd: The California Center for College and Career, whose mission is to support and expand the pathways that prepare students for both college and career. Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) is an international nonprofit organization that conducts and applies research to advance learning and promote health. EDC managers more than 300 projects in 35 countries. Visit www.edc.org. |