A+ News

Michelle Burrows has played a pivotal role in A+ Schools of North Carolina since its inception, providing steadfast leadership as its director for more than 15 years.

Header image: Photo by Sara Ridings, courtesy of A+ Schools of North Carolina / North Carolina Arts Council. 

Header image: Students working together on a class project at Royal Oaks School of the Arts in Kannapolis, N.C. Royal Oaks is part of the A+ Schools of North Carolina network. Photo by Tibor Nemeth.

Header image: Teachers at the 2025 A+ Schools of North Carolina summer conference at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. Photo by Peter Shanahan

In 1995, the Kenan Institute for the Arts, in Winston-Salem, launched a program to integrate the arts in every aspect of instruction in 25 urban, suburban, and rural pre-kindergarten through twelfth-grade schools. Immediately, the results were profoundly positive.

A+ school White Oak Elementary in Carteret County transforms classrooms using arts-integrated curriculum woven throughout daily lessons.

Participating in ongoing, high-quality professional development is one of the three indicators of a highly engaged A+ school (along with principal leadership and teacher engagement), and it is the most important service that A+ Schools of N.C. offers.

A revolutionary way of approaching education started in North Carolina nearly 30 years ago, and it has been transforming the lives of students and teachers ever since. A+ Schools of North Carolina is a whole-school transformation model that views the arts as fundamental to teaching and learning.

A+ Fellows are leaders in the arts and education, and each year they facilitate high-quality professional development for A+ schools and partner organizations. Meet Gideon Young, one of our most enthusiastic A+ Fellows!

Photo: Teachers from Odyssey School at the 2024 A+ Summer Institute in Asheville. Photo credit: North Carolina Arts Council.