Exemplary School Designation Awarded To NOCCA
New Orleans Center for Creative Arts Receives Exemplary School Designation
New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) has been designated a 2014-2016 Exemplary School by Arts Schools Network, the nation’s largest professional membership organization of specialized arts schools. Created to highlight a school’s commitment to excellence, this designation is presented to an Arts Schools Network member school in recognition of its efforts to evaluate strategically its purpose, operations, and educational programs. This honor signifies that NOCCA has successfully completed a self-evaluation in the following areas: strengths, areas for improvement, consistency with school-wide or program purposes, aspirations, and future challenges.
NOCCA, Louisiana’s Arts Conservatory for high school students, provides intensive instruction in: classical instrumental, culinary arts, creative writing, dance, drama, jazz instrumental, media arts, musical theatre, theatre design, visual arts and vocal; and also offers a rigorous and innovative full-day academic program. NOCCA is tuition-free to all Louisiana students who meet audition requirements. Students from over 100 public, private, parochial and home schools attend the half-day or afterschool arts program with student representation from 12 Louisiana Parishes in NOCCA’s full-day academic studio program.
“NOCCA is a founding member of the Arts Schools Network and has served on its board since its inception,” stated NOCCA President|CEO Kyle Wedberg. “NOCCA’s evolution from an arts center model with a national reputation, to a full-day school with an A ranking, is further validated with this recognition. We are honored and proud to be recognized as an Exemplary School.”
NOCCA’s track record over the past 40 years speaks for itself: every year a remarkable 95% of NOCCA graduates go on to college and conservatory programs across the country. Furthermore, the dollar amount of scholarship offers increases each year, with the 2014 class of 116 students receiving over $17.4 million collectively, which is an average of over $150,000 per student. The key to NOCCA’s success is the pedagogy and curriculum delivered in the artist apprentice model; the ethic of discipline and responsibility it instills in students; and the individual voice and esthetic students work to develop which prepares them to be engaged artists and intellectuals for life.
The Arts Schools Network is pleased to recognize the achievements of this stellar school and congratulates NOCCA for its highest quality instruction in arts education.
Dedicated to excellence and leadership in arts education, Arts Schools Network, a non-profit professional organization founded in 1981, is a dynamic resource for arts schools leaders, innovative partners and members of arts education institutions. Its mission is to provide leaders in arts schools with quality resources, support, and networking opportunities. ASN has provided communications, programs, services, conferences and events to support these goals for over 30 years. Visit the website at www.artsschoolsnetwork.org to learn more.