IBERIA PARISH — The Acadiana Center for the Arts (AcA) is celebrating its 50th year by expanding its arts-in-education program into all 23 public schools in Iberia Parish.
The initiative connects students with professional teaching artists in visual arts, theater, dance, music, and creative writing. Lessons are designed to align with subjects students are already learning, such as a movement-based lesson reinforcing the second-grade science curriculum on plant life cycles.
While AcA has offered programming across the region since the late 1970s, this marks the first year Iberia Parish schools are included. For program director Bree Sargent, an Iberia Parish native, the expansion carries personal meaning.
“It means the world to me that we’re able to give students the experiences that I didn’t get to have as a public school student in Iberia Parish,” Sargent said.
Superintendent Heath Hulin said the district began planning for the partnership last spring to provide every student with access to live performances and classroom lessons.
“So many kids learn in different ways,” Hulin said. “For some, they need something hands-on, they need to be able to express themselves and what they’re learning. And I think the arts will give them the opportunity to do that.”
District leaders hope the expansion will boost academics, attendance, and student engagement, while offering new ways for children to connect with their learning.
