The East Baton Rouge Parish School System understands that education is about more than core academics.
The district sees the arts as essential to support well-rounded students, improve creativity and strengthen academic performance, says Wayne Talbot, fine arts director for East Baton Rouge Parish public schools. “Children who study the arts are more engaged and interested in school, and when students are young, learning the arts promotes brain development.”
We talked with Talbot to learn more about the district’s arts and music programs and the benefits they provide for students.
All Schools Integrate the Arts
The district’s arts and music program applies to all East Baton Rouge Parish public schools to ensure that every student has opportunities to engage in the arts, Talbot says. The programs cover all arts disciplines, including music, visual arts, theatre, dance and media arts, which includes digital art, film and animation.
“All schools have programs that represent at least one or two art disciplines, and all high schools have a music and visual arts program,” he says. Most schools have at least one dedicated arts teacher, but the school system trains all teachers to integrate the arts into their curriculum, he says.
The school system also has Visual and Performing Arts magnet schools, including Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts, Forest Heights Academy of Excellence and McKinley Middle Academic Magnet, that focus on all arts disciplines. Other schools have additional arts programs for students who show a special interest or affinity for the arts, such as the Talented Arts Program, Talbot says.
Schools Form Partnerships in the Community
District schools have numerous partners in the community to further engage students in the arts, either by performing for students or creating interactive arts activities.
To promote brain development in younger students, the LSU Museum of Art partners with White Hills Elementary to bring students to the museum once a month and create artwork based on their visit, Talbot says. Manship Theatre at the Shaw Center for the Arts offers performances for students and underwrites ticket sales for professional performances, and it teaches classes and shows teachers how to integrate the arts into their curriculum, he says.
The community partners ensure that every school has a way to participate in the arts, and the partnerships teach students how to be part of a community, Talbot says. “These partnerships are about making connections in the Baton Rouge community and teaching students how to be global citizens,” he says.
A Focus on the Future
The arts programs are critical not only to support stronger students but to support stronger individuals, Talbot says. “The arts help students become unique individuals, boosting self-esteem and confidence — things that can’t be taught in books,” he says.
To give all students the best opportunities for the future, East Baton Rouge public schools are continuously creating ways to incorporate more of the arts, Talbot says.
Recently the schools began adding media arts to keep up with this growing job industry, he says. Students will gain experience for the workforce by working with professionals in the media arts field, as schools form new partnerships in this area, Talbot says.
Talbot says he hopes other partnerships and programs, such as the one with the LSU Museum of Art, will continue to grow to serve more schools. “For our arts programs, we try to build on the programs and partners we have,” he says. “We want all citizens and students to be able to access and experience the arts.”
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System understands that education is about more than core academics.
