Washington, DC (August 6, 2008) – Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) announced today that the U.S. Department of Education has awarded McAllen Independent School District a $147,037 grant to develop an “Arts Educator 2.0” project. This project will create a professional development program for music, dance, drama, and visual arts educators through the use of new and emerging technologies.

“The arts are essential to every child’s education. It is important that we do all we can to equip our teachers with the tools needed to inspire our students’ creativity and imagination,” said Hinojosa. “This funding will does exactly that – it arms our talented arts instructors with the latest teaching techniques so that they can better educate our country’s next great actors, musicians, and painters.”

The educators selected to participate in this program will be immersed in the most current instructional practices, including inquiry-based, collaborative teaching and learning. The program will help teachers with the development, enhancement, or expansion of art education programs and the integration of arts instruction with other core academic subjects.

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