FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 29, 2006

Press Contacts
202-653-4628
Kevin O'Connell, koconnell@imls.gov
Mamie Bittner, mbittner@imls.gov

IMLS Calls for 2007 Coming Up Taller Award Nominations

For excellence in after-school and out-of-school arts and humanities programs for young people Deadline—January 31

Washington, DC--The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, is proud to announce the availability of the 2007 Coming Up Taller nomination application. By honoring excellence in after-school and out-of-school arts and humanities programs, the Coming Up Taller awards promote a creative, engaged, skilled, and confident generation of young people.

Each year the Coming Up Taller awards recognize and reward outstanding after-school and out-of-school arts and humanities programs for underserved children and youth. Award recipients receive $10,000 each, an individualized plaque, and an invitation to attend the annual Coming Up Taller Leadership Enhancement Conference. PCAH and its partners encourage programs initiated by museums, libraries, performing arts organizations, universities, colleges, arts centers, community service organizations, schools, businesses, and eligible government entities to participate. Click here for the nomination guidelines and application (PDF, 227KB).

At a previous Coming Up Taller awards ceremony, Mrs. Laura Bush remarked that “the arts and humanities are critical building blocks for a child's development, and they provide a strong foundation for a lifetime of learning . . . The study of the arts and humanities gives children the chance to be extraordinary -- the power to be themselves.”

Coming Up Taller is a program of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.