Advancing Arts Integration to Transforming Education Across Louisiana

As LSU celebrates the first anniversary of the Windgate Foundation’s $1.329 million investment in the Louisiana A+ Schools program, the transformative effects of this partnership are already being felt in classrooms across the state. In total, LAA+ has trained more than 30 schools statewide, most recently adding St. Martin Early Learning STEAM Academy and St. Martin STEAM Academy, both located in St. Martinville, La., along with The Dufrocq School, Progress Elementary School, and LSU Early Childhood Education Laboratory School in Baton Rouge, La.

Established in 2013, LAA+ is a key component of the National A+ Schools Consortium, which includes networks from North Carolina, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Africa. The A+ model utilizes the arts as a catalyst for school transformation and has evolved into a nationally recognized, research-based strategy for sustainable reform. Arts integration—combining visual arts, music, and drama with traditional academic subjects—fosters deeper learning and engagement by connecting students with the material in dynamic ways.

A leading supporter of educational and arts initiatives, the Windgate Foundation, with additional support from the George Rodrigue Foundation, has equipped LSU with financial resources to expand arts-integrated learning around Louisiana. This investment supports the development of a new course for future educators; enhances arts exposure in schools; covers operating costs; and funds research efforts, including the hiring of two additional staff members. Now housed within the LSU College of Human Sciences & Education, this initiative exemplifies LSU’s pioneering role in innovative, research-backed education that drives positive educational changes across the state.

Roland Mitchell, dean of the LSU College of Human Sciences & Education, underscored the importance of this gift. “Our state needs teachers, and our students need incredible individuals to lead, teach, and ignite an insatiable fire for learning in them. We share the Windgate Foundation’s belief that LAA+ Schools is a vehicle for elevating education in the state of Louisiana. In the LSU College of Human Sciences & Education, we imagine a world where teachers matter and they come first. The Windgate Foundation’s gift allows us to address teacher wellbeing, school culture, student learning, and so much more. This work is essential to the education ecosystem we are building at LSU to prepare future teachers as well as K-12 students for bright futures that ultimately build our workforce and create prosperous communities across the state.”

In a collaborative partnership between LAA+ Schools, the LSU Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education, and the LSU Museum of Art, LSU’s student-teachers are actively engaged in programs like the upcoming “Day at the Museum.” These future educators will explore arts-integration strategies before their year-long residencies, with the potential to influence classrooms across Louisiana. As graduates, they may return as teachers or even become program fellows, driving improved outcomes for PK-12 students. In addition, a new research project led by LSU’s CHSE Office of Educational Research will assess the impact of arts-integrated professional development on student engagement, with findings shared statewide to expand its reach.

The inaugural year has laid a solid foundation for future advancement, setting the stage for expanded arts integration and enhanced research-based teacher training over the next two years.

“Windgate Foundation has been supporting A+ Schools across the country for over twenty years. During this time, we have witnessed the extraordinary benefit of the whole-school approach that infuses art into the curriculum.  Students are captivated and positive, teachers become empowered and confident, and the entire school realizes the benefits. Increased attendance, teacher retention and improved testing scores provide further proof of the advantage of integrating art into learning.],” said [Patricia Forgy, executive director of Windgate Foundation. We applaud LAA+ and LSU’s commitment to this important work and congratulate them on their inaugural year together.

The impact of this initiative has been profoundly felt throughout the LAA+ network, where teachers and students have already experienced the tangible benefits of the enriched educational model. Noi Mills, an educator at The Dufrocq School, said, “Through this innovative approach to learning, students with multiple intelligences, those requiring differential learning modalities, or those who have identified exceptionalities are able to grasp core academic skills more effectively and efficiently, stimulating a more inclusive classroom atmosphere and promoting joy for learning in every student. As a result, our school has seen increased student engagement and motivational levels soar to new heights. There’s a contagious boost of students’ confidence and self-esteem centered around learning. Classroom instruction is more inviting, creative, and collaborative, which has enhanced academic success across subject areas and thematic programs.”

About Windgate Foundation

Windgate Foundation, based in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a private foundation established in 1993 whose purpose is to advance contemporary craft and strengthen visual arts education in the United States.

About Louisiana A+ Schools

Louisiana A+ Schools (LAA+) is a network of schools dedicated to fostering a whole-school approach to teaching that weaves the arts into the fabric of school culture, curriculum, and community. The program emphasizes arts-integrated learning as a powerful tool to enhance academic performance and student engagement.

About the LSU College of Human Sciences & Education

The College of Human Sciences & Education is a nationally accredited division of Louisiana State University. The college is comprised of the School of Education, the School of Information Studies, the School of Kinesiology the School of Leadership & Human Resource Development, the School of Social Work, and the University Laboratory School. These combined schools offer 8 undergraduate degree programs, 18 graduate programs, and 7 online graduate degree and/or certificate programs, enrolling more than 1,900 undergraduate and 1,120 graduate students. The College is committed to achieving the highest standards in teaching, research, and service and is committed to improving quality of life across the lifespan.