FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Claudia Medina, ACOE Communications, 510-670-7754
Clarence Johnson, AC Transit Communications, 510-891-4745
Contact: Claudia Medina, ACOE Communications, 510-670-7754
Clarence Johnson, AC Transit Communications, 510-891-4745
Freedom Bus Tours East Bay Schools
Who: Alameda County Schools Supt. Sheila Jordan; AC Transit Board member Joel Young; Storyteller Awele Makeba; Union City Mayor and Alameda County Transportation Commission Chairperson, Mark Green
When: Tuesday, April 19th from 10:50 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Where: Three Bus Stops: Berkeley High School, 1980 Alston Way, Berkeley—10:50 a.m. to 11:25 a.m.; Juvenile Justice Center, 2500 Fairmont Dr., San Leandro—1p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (no media permitted); Lorin Eden Elementary, 27790 Portsmouth Ave., Hayward—3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Hayward,
April 15, 2011
—
On Tuesday, April 19, 2011, the AC Transit Freedom Bus will tour three East Bay schools in an unprecedented effort to integrate art, education, civil rights and public transportation.
The tour comes on the heels of a community celebration last month when nearly 200 people--community and business leaders, elected officials and a host of student artists-- launched the bus in tribute to America’s Civil Rights movement.
With colorful student art depicting the 1955 Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott on the outside, and prize-winning student art on the inside, the Freedom Bus honors that historic bus protest spurred by Rosa Parks, and pioneers like Claudette Colvin. The Freedom Bus demonstrates the learning and personal growth of students when they have the opportunity to study relevant and important topics, make their own meaning artistically, and share their creative ideas with real audiences. The goal is to promote the understanding and teaching of civil rights history through the arts.
“Making learning visible; students beautifully express the civil rights history that continues to define the critical issues we face today," said Sheila Jordan, Superintendent of Alameda County Schools. "Our partnership with AC Transit demonstrates the importance of lessons in history, social science, and art while combining an important message regarding accessible transportation for all.”
The Freedom Bus will make stops at three schools, displaying its artwork as part of more in- depth educational programs at each school. “Considering that a passenger on a public bus was the catalyst for a civil rights movement, it is only fitting that AC Transit be a part of this historic educational project,” said AC Transit Interim General Manager Mary King.
About The Freedom Bus Project
The Freedom Bus Project was launched by AC Transit and the Alameda County Office of Education, in association with Art IS Education and West Contra Costa Unified School District, to celebrate the 55th Anniversary of Rosa Parks’ historic bus ride in Montgomery, Alabama, which ignited the 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Civil Rights Movement. This collaborative, interagency project recognizes the important role that individuals and public transit have played in civil rights movements, celebrates the East Bay’s rich diversity and legacy of community activism, and engages youth to learn about this legacy and express their visions for social justice through the arts. For more information, contact: Freedom Bus Project at (510) 788-0450 www.freedombusproject.com or email project@freedombusproject.com
About ACOE:
The Alameda County Office of Education has fiscal oversight of all eighteen Alameda County public school districts. ACOE provides over 500 programs and services to district offices in all aspects of school operations including professional development and credentialing services for educators. ACOE fosters student achievement and development through leadership, innovation, and accountability in partnership with the public, educational community, and parents. www.acoe.org
About Art IS Education:
Art IS Education is a program of Alliance for Arts Learning Leadership, a project of the Alameda County Office of Education in partnership with the Alameda County Arts Commission. Art IS Education is an annual showcase of arts learning in Alameda County schools in March, which is national arts education month. Over the last 11 years, Art IS Education has become a highly visible countywide event that creates a vehicle for K-12 students to share with their community what they are learning in and through the visual and performing arts. “Creating Solutions for the World We Share” is this year’s Alameda County Art IS Education theme which encourages youth to express through the arts creative solutions for how we can take care of ourselves, each other, and the planet. www.artiseducation.org
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