83R19723 STE-D
By: Branch H.R. No. 1564
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Big Thought has been named a 2013 Texas Medal of Arts
honoree for Art Education for 25 years of providing creative ideas
to young people that are proven to foster and sustain social,
academic, and cognitive growth; and
WHEREAS, The Texas Medal of Arts program includes among its
honorees institutions that have made important contributions to
enhancing artistic opportunities for citizens of the Lone Star
State, and Big Thought is indeed one such organization; and
WHEREAS, Part of a nationwide network, Young Audiences of
North Texas was founded in 1987 by Mitch Jericho and Edith O'Donnell
to recruit artists to work in public school classrooms; inspired by
that program's success, area civic leaders expanded their original
arts-in-education mission, starting Creative Solutions with the
Dallas County Juvenile Department to help at-risk teens with job
skills and college readiness and establishing Library Live!, a
family literacy program that is conducted monthly at every public
library in Dallas; today, these programs, as well as Thriving Minds
and SLANT, operate under the auspices of Big Thought; and
WHEREAS, In each of these endeavors, Big Thought strives to
better equip all children for the future by providing equal access
to enrichment programs and championing the idea that creative
learning boosts school attendance, leads to higher test scores, and
improves graduation rates; through public and private partnerships
with numerous other entities, the group coordinates collective
resources and administers a network of support for the benefit of
young people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds; and
WHEREAS, Through the years, Big Thought has offered
educational activities to students and teachers alike, and it has
sponsored numerous performances and workshops; in collaboration
with its partners, its initiatives address academic achievement,
family services, life skills, and workforce development, and its
programs reach more than 100,000 children each year in the
classroom and in neighborhood and after-school settings; and
WHEREAS, For the past quarter-century, Big Thought has played
a pivotal role in arts education in North Texas, and in so doing it
has enriched the lives of countless young Texans; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Big Thought on receiving a 2013
Texas Medal of Arts Award and commend the group's staff, sponsors,
and volunteers for its vital educational endeavors; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the organization as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.