Lake City Early Childhood Center has been awarded ABC School Certification by Arts in Basic Curriculum Institute for exemplary efforts to provide quality, comprehensive arts education to all students.
Lake City Early Childhood Center is dedicated to providing top-tier, comprehensive arts education to its students. Through a diverse array of clubs and programs, including dance, drama, piano, singing, and art, students have the opportunity to explore and excel in various artistic disciplines. LCECC’s mission is to foster a learning environment where students not only acquire artistic skills but also develop essential life skills such as creativity, collaboration, and communication. By actively engaging in the arts, students learn to express themselves creatively, think critically, and work collaboratively with their peers.
“At Lake City Early Childhood Center, we believe in the power of the arts to inspire, empower, and transform lives,” said Principal Jonte’ Barr Singletary. “Our vision is encapsulated in the acronym LEAD: Learning, Engaging, Achieving, and Developing. Through our arts-focused curriculum and extracurricular activities, students LEAD as they learn, engaging deeply with their artistic passions, achieving personal and academic success, and developing into confident leaders,” she added. “By nurturing a love for the arts from an early age, we aim to instill in our students a lifelong appreciation for creativity and a commitment to excellence. This funding helps us provide experiences so that our students not only become proficient artists but also compassionate, innovative leaders who contribute positively to their communities and the world at large.”
All ABC Schools must have an approved arts education strategic plan that outlines the commitments of resources, personnel, and partnerships that will be required and maintained over five years. Such commitments require grant-writing, partnerships with local cultural organizations, and specialized professional development.
According to Dr. Kim Wilson, ABC Institute Director, “ABC Certified Schools believe that the arts are an essential component in the basic curriculum and are central to student development. Each school is unique but all understand how to make meaningful connections to art in all aspects of life and learning, understand how an arts-rich environment inspires creativity, and the role the arts play in defining our students’ diverse cultures but defining a schools’ inclusive culture.”
Designation of ABC School is achieved through a rigorous certification process. “Being certified as an ABC School means your school is ready and willing to serve as a model for others across the state and across the nation,” said Director Wilson. “ABC Schools know the “why” to their often unconventional and courageous choices. They can provide the pedagogical rationale, evidence and data to support those choices, and models of practice to clearly communicate the benefits of the arts to others.”
ABC Certified Schools are eligible for ABC Advancement grants, a South Carolina Arts Commission grant ABC Advancement grants support schools committed to implementing standards-based art curricula and to making the arts an integral part of the basic curriculum and daily classroom instruction (https://www.southcarolinaarts.com/grant/abc/).