Education notebook LeARner Collective schools are named

Twenty schools from the northwest and Delta regions of the state have been selected by Forward Arkansas to participate in the first LeARner Collective cohort, giving teams of teachers, principals and other school employees an opportunity to develop solutions to specific needs and challenges.

The LeARner Collective, supported by the Walton Family Foundation, will begin next month.

School teams will receive tailored support as they develop creative, equitable and student-centered solutions that improve conditions for learning success.

“Educators are problem solvers and innovators by nature; we want to build on that,” Ben Kutylo, executive director of Forward Arkansas, said. “Through this program, we will empower local school teams to reflect on the challenges their students face and determine better ways to address those challenges.

Participating schools will each receive a $5,000 grant to support their work.

The first cohort of 20 schools are:

■ Ardis Ann Middle School, Bentonville.

■ Explore Academy, Pine Bluff.

■ Friendship Aspire Academy, Downtown Pine Bluff.

■ Gentry Middle School, Gentry.

■ Gentry Primary School, Gentry.

■ Grimsley Junior High School, Bentonville.

■ James Matthews Elementary School, Pine Bluff.

■ Jerry “Pop” Williams Elementary School, Farmington.

■ Lowell Elementary School, Rogers.

■ Marvell-Elaine Elementary School, Marvell-Elaine.

■ Marvell-Elaine High School, Marvell-Elaine.

■ Northside Elementary School, Rogers.

■ Oakwood Preschool, AR River Education Service Cooperative, Pine Bluff.

■ Pea Ridge Intermediate School, Pea Ridge.

■ Pea Ridge Primary School, Pea Ridge.

■ Pine Bluff Junior High Academy, Pine Bluff.

■ Southwood Elementary School, Pine Bluff.

■ Randall G. Lynch Middle School, Farmington.

■ Taylor Elementary School, White Hall.

■ White Hall High School, White Hall.

Thea Foundation deadline nearing

The latest Thea Foundation Scholarship Competition will close Jan. 5.

Entries in one of the five categories of performing arts, visual arts, creative writing, film, and fashion design must be submitted no later than midnight that day to make the contestant eligible for prizes of up to $10,000.

More information is available at the organization’s website: theafoundation.org/ scholarships. This year’s theme is “Individual, and beautiful.”

Only high school seniors enrolled in either public, private or home schools in Arkansas are eligible to register for the contests.

Grade point average and test scores do not factor into consideration for a scholarship and need not be disclosed.

Thea foundation’s mission is to advocate the importance of the arts in the development of youths.