We have developed and are funding multi-year, comprehensive programs involving Richmond Public Schools, the six surrounding county school systems, private schools and local arts organizations. Each Partnership addresses expressed learning goals including the Virginia Standards of Learning. The Partnership models include one or more of the following component(s):

• applied instruction—developing specific arts skills;
• integrated curriculum—linking the arts to other core content areas; or
• school-to-work—students apprenticing alongside arts professionals.

Our goals in this initiative (and these Partnerships) are to increase equity in access to the arts in education; to identify best practices in models of collaboration that most effectively address regional challenges; to positively impact student development and achievement; and to positively impact teacher practice.