PHILADELPHIA, PA>- Recognizing artists as a vital component in Pre K - 12 educational reform, the University of the Arts and the Philadelphia Arts in Education Partnership (PAEP), in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, will begin offering a first-in-the-nation Teaching Artist certificate through the University's Continuing Studies Division this fall.

"This program was created in direct response to President Barack Obama's call for a corps of trained teaching artists to work in community sites and collaborate with educators in schools preparing students for success in the 21st century," said Erin Elman, Dean of Continuing Studies at the University of the Arts.

The research-based certificate program is inclusive of visual, performing, literary, media and crafts and aims to build the knowledge and capacity of artists to work alongside teachers and arts specialists in Pre K - 12 classrooms and community settings to create and implement best practices residency programs that support learning in and through the arts.

"Establishing this certificate program is a major milestone for an emerging field," said national arts education consultant Eric Booth, who co-founded the Art and Education program at Juilliard and will serve as the chairman of the certificate program's national board of advisors. "Until now, artists with a passion to include teaching artistry as a committed career component have had to piece their training together and learn on the fly. This new program provides America's first comprehensive training offering, and establishes a new standard of professionalism for this burgeoning field."

The program is designed for practicing artists interested in building a knowledge base and capacity for bringing their skills into the classroom. A bachelor's degree is helpful but not necessary. Experienced teaching artists will acquire specialized skills and in-depth expertise to equip them with a professional credential for advancement in the field.

"This exciting new certificate program will foster a new generation of teaching artists," said Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Executive Director Philip Horn. "A generation who, in partnership with educators, will bring the unique benefits of arts learning into today's classrooms and educational settings."

Through PAEP's status as a regional arts in education partner with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the program can to draw upon the leadership, expertise and resources of the statewide network of arts in education partners.

"We're rolling out this program locally with plans in place to offer it statewide through online, distance learning and by building affiliations with institutions of higher education across the state," stated Pearl Schaeffer, CEO of the Philadelphia Arts in Education Partnership.

Students will not only receive their certification from the University of the Arts but will also be granted alumni status providing many of the unique opportunities for alumni that the University has to offer. Deadline for fall 2009 enrollment is Tuesday, June 30, 2009. For more information, course descriptions or to request an application, please visit www.uarts.edu/ce, email CE@uarts.edu or call 215.717.6095.

The University of the Arts is the nation's first and only university dedicated to the visual, performing and communication arts. Its 2,300 students are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs on its campus in the heart of Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts. The institution's roots as a leader in educating creative individuals date back to 1868.

The Philadelphia Arts in Education Partnership (PAEP) promotes learning in and through the arts working in collaboration with education and arts communities. PAEP builds excellence in arts in education practices through residencies and professional development programs and is a regional partner with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Arts in Education Division serving southeastern PA.

The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) fosters the excellence, diversity, and vitality of the arts in Pennsylvania and broadens the appreciation and availability of those arts throughout the Commonwealth. The PCA fosters educational excellence through participation in the creative process in schools and community settings, creating an honored place for the arts in lifelong education. The PCA's Arts in Education Partners recruit, select, train, place, and evaluate professional-quality artists for residencies in educational environments.