Advisory Board Booker T Washington HS for the Performing and Visual Arts

Each year, thanks to our generous donors, the Advisory Board is able to provide invaluable, life-changing opportunities and experiences for the students and faculty at Booker T - opportunities that would not otherwise exist.

In addition to the universal and nationwide public education challenges we continue to face (shrinking budgets, increased enrollment, bureaucratic/philosophical debates about effective accountability tools, etc.) - BTW is unique in its mission and demographic - and the teaching and learning simply costs more by necessity. Specialized skill sets, training and supplies are not luxuries -- they are essential for these students to learn. Music students need instruments, strings and reeds. Visual arts students need paint, canvas, sketchbooks and clay. Dance and theatre students need specialized clothing and shoes.

Each year, a new class of BTW students prove that they are capable of being admitted to the finest, most prestigious programs in the country - but first they have to get to the audition and many cannot afford airfare. Providing travel assistance or audition/application fees to help student's interview and audition cannot be underestimated. Likewise, without the world-class summer intensive training that our donors make possible, these students would not be competitive with other students from affluent families who can, and have, provided supplemental training for years. The ability to 'level the playing field' is crucial in allowing BTW students to be competitive while also providing the means for them to connect the final dot via an audition which, many times, results in a significant scholarship offer.

BTW is successful, due in large part, to the vital community investment that stands in the gap to provide whatever is necessary to ensure that these gifted students realize their bright futures. The end result is a beacon for other public schools - and a clear example of both the necessity and impact of public and private support.