An Update from Maine's Representatives at NEA Education Leaders Institute in Chicago

Chicago is an inspirational city for creativity, and six of us Mainers are enjoying our stay here as one of five teams participating in the National Endowment for the Arts Education Leaders Institute 4. Hosted by the Illinois Arts Council at the renowned Spertus Institute in downtown Chicago, ELI 4’s goal is to give our teams time to design projects that advance arts education in our states and nation. Maine’s application received high marks from the NEA during the review process. Team members include Donna McNeil; Gibson Fay-LeBlanc of Portland’s The Telling Room; former Attorney General and candidate for governor Steve Rowe; Sue Gendron, Commissioner of Education; Jen Ryan of Harvard’s Project Zero; and Linda Nelson, Executive Director of Opera House Arts at the Stonington Opera House and Maine Arts Commission member. The team is designing a long-term project to use the arts to reframe our public schools as learning environments which foster creativity, imagination, and innovation, thereby advancing Maine’s economy and future leadership. Stay tuned for more details . . .