(WASHINGTON, D.C.) Imagination Celebration Fort Worth, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides students with arts and cultural experiences linked to learning both in and out of the classroom, will be honored with a national Coming Up Taller Award for two separate initiatives: the Young Artists Apprenticeship Program (YAAP), and the Debbie Allen Dance Institute (DADI). Youth and adult representatives of the initiatives will travel to Washington, D.C. for a Monday, January 28 ceremony in the East Room of the White House, which will begin at 9:30 a.m. Mrs. Laura Bush will present the awards.

Members of the media interested in attending the event who do not have a White House Press Credential must fax his or her name (as it appears on his or her driver's license), Social Security number and date of birth on company letterhead to (202) 456-1523 no later than 6:00 pm on Friday, January 25, 2008. Pre-set for electronic media is 8:00 a.m. All media will be escorted from the West Wing driveway to the East Room at 8:45 a.m. A multbox will be provided. For additional credentialing or logistical questions, please call Mrs. Bush’s Press Office at
(202) 456-6313.

Coming Up Taller is an initiative of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH). The President’s Committee partners with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to administer the program, which was founded in 1998.

The Coming Up Taller Awards recognize and support outstanding community arts and humanities programs that celebrate the creativity of young people, and provide them with new learning opportunities and a chance to contribute to their communities. The awards also highlight the contributions that historians, scholars, librarians and visual and performing arts make to families and communities by mentoring children. More than 350 nominations were received by the program in 2007.

“Arts and humanities activities have a wonderful way of enabling young people to discover their unique talents and interests while forging a path to success in school and life,” said Adair Margo,

Chairman of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. “Both of these outstanding Imagination Celebration projects enable young people to unlock the mysteries of creativity and develop the strong sense of discipline that’s needed for long-term accomplishments.”

Launched in 1989, the Young Artists Apprenticeship Program is an intensive 25-week course in the visual arts, facilitated by a team of leading professional artists. This highly competitive program enables students to experience more rigorous and in-depth arts experiences than those offered in their schools, and bases admission on a portfolio review and recommendations from art teachers. Each year, 30 to 40 students attend weekly sessions at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, where they work with the master artists who introduce them to diverse forms of art and help them develop technical skills and confidence.

The Debbie Allen Dance Institute is taught each summer by acclaimed dancer and choreographer Debbie Allen, along with a group of dancers from such prestigious companies as the Bolshoi Ballet and the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. The workshop spans two weeks, and enrollment is open to students aged 7 to 21. Students come from throughout Texas and the other states and have also attended from as far away as Africa and Venezuela.

While the Young Artists Apprenticeship Program and the Debbie Allen Dance Institute involve different disciplines, both share the goal of utilizing the arts as a vehicle for enabling young people to develop skills and attitudes that drive success in school and beyond. Nearly 100 percent of Young Artists Apprenticeship Program participants graduate from high school, and the majority go on to college. The Debbie Allen Dance Institute enrolls students from age 7 to 21 who demonstrate either a strong talent in dance or a desire to learn. . A scholarship program that covers tuition makes it possible for many students, who could not otherwise participate, to attend.

“Without these programs, most of these students would never have the opportunity to study these art forms outside of the school day, and in such an in-depth manner,” said Ginger Head Gearhart, Founder and Executive Director of Imagination Celebration. “Both programs have transformed lives.”

“The master professionals who guide both of these programs bring remarkable skills to their work,” said Dan McCarthy, Chairman of the Imagination Celebration Board of Directors. “They nurture and challenge young people to excel far beyond pre-conceived boundaries and pave the way for futures of unlimited possibility.”

Many of the students in the Young Artist Apprenticeship have never imagined the many individual art forms that they might pursue or the many different careers to which their artistic talents could lead. Many of the apprenticeship students have believed that a college education is beyond their reach and through this program learn to believe in the possibilities and develop the confidence that they need to achieve this goal. Consequently they work harder in their academic studies their grades come up and through the guidance and scholarship recommendations of mentors in the program this dream becomes reality.

The same is true for students in the Debbie Allen Dance Institute. Under the creative direction of Ms. Allen some of the leading dance masters from around the world in the disciplines of Ballet, Jazz, Tap, African, Flamenco and Hip Hop, work with the students to challenge them to never imagined levels of accomplishment – whether they are those who have only dreamed to dance or they are accomplished dancers, all are ignited to strive to be the best that they can be in dance and in their academic studies.

Students from the program, who have only dreamed to dance prior to being a part of the program, are now dancing with principal dance companies, and on stages from Broadway to Los Angeles and around the world. Others are attending universities who never thought that possible.

The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities bridges the interests of federal agencies and the private sector, supports special projects that increase participation, and helps incorporate the humanities and the arts into White House objectives. The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. Because democracy demands wisdom, the National Endowment for the Humanities serves and strengthens our Republic by promoting excellence in the humanities and conveying the lessons of history to all Americans. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent federal grant making agency dedicated to creating and sustaining a nation of learners.

For more information please visit the following Web sites:

Imagination Celebration Fort Worth: www.icfw.org
Coming Up Taller: www.cominguptaller.org
President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities: www.pcah.gov
National Endowment for the Arts: www.arts.gov
National Endowment for the Humanities: www.neh.gov
Institute of Museum and Library Services: www.imls.gov

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