Performing Arts Academy . And we are
here at the Air National Guard
Readiness Center at Andrews Air Force
Base to celebrate Black History Month .
And I brought with me about 73 students
from our school performing arts
students um ranging from the dance
department to the visual arts
department , um band students um and
choral students and one media student .
Mhm So the performances that you saw
today were the students um
contributions to Black History Month
through the eye of the teacher . Um
Each teacher put together a performance
based on um African Americans in the
arts um African Americans who inspire
them the educators , but who also draw
in the students . Um It's important as
educators , we find that it's very
important to meet the students where
they are to help pour into them , to
inspire them so that they are working
towards their future and what they want
for their future . And so sometimes in
order to get the students to rise above
um think a little more critically about
what they should expect in the coming
years and their educational experiences ,
we have to meet them where they are and
connect with them and um give them
opportunities to express themselves
where they are and that way we can feed
into them and share with them
opportunities um that they are
attracted to through the art form . Um
So today you saw dancers , you saw
visual artists , you saw musicians ,
you saw vocalists and you saw media
specialists , future media specialists
um that are all inspired by the artists
that they represented today . Art
is important to use in uplifting
community members because art is
expressive art is a pathway . It's a
form of communication , everything that
we need for the kids to hear us and for
us to hear them , art provides that it
gives them an outlet to express who
they are through venues and
opportunities that makes them more
comfortable . And so when we think of
students being comfortable , then we
can , then we can connect with them
finding their true selves through the
art form and becoming who they will
ultimately become . So the art form is
actually the tool and it , it's just a
form of expression . And when you give
the student the opportunity and the
fuel and the um space to express
themselves , they get to release what
the triggers are , they get to release
what holds them back and then they can
forge forward , taking on whatever is
brought upon them or brought to them
through the art form , through their
freedom that they found in the art form .
Oh , wow . I hope that the airmen that
were here today that saw the students ,
I hope that they were able to see that
maybe themselves in some of the
students . Um and maybe reconnect to
what it was like when they were younger .
And if they didn't have the
opportunities , maybe they were um
inspired by what they saw , maybe they
were uh um encouraged by what they saw .
Um And then when I say inspired and
encouraged , maybe they are willing to
come and connect , make further
connections with these kids . Um coming
to our school inviting them over . Um
understanding that they are the leaders
that the kids are looking up to now .
So while they were looking and seeing
um the performances from the students
today , um the students were looking at
them as their current leaders and they
were excited to see soldiers real live
soldiers in front of them um taking in
what they could bring to the stage ,
the performance space to share with
them . And so it is my hope that the
soldiers , the airmen today were able
to um see pride , pride in the students
looking up at them and strength being ,
being able to pull strength from that
and knowing that they have an
opportunity to give back and make
connections with the kids that they saw
today . Oh , I know what the students
took away . They took away the
excitement and opportunity that they
received to make the connections with
the airmen that are so close . They see
evidence of them around them , um , in
their travels to and from school , they
hear evidence when we're in school ,
you can hear the , the jets flying and
the helicopters coming and going . And
they're wondering , hm , is that the
president , um , is war coming , are we
going to war , what's happening ? And
so being able to come in and know that
it's a safe space and that even though
this is a place where , um , it's a
place of protection , it gives them the
opportunity to actually see , hear ,
feel touch . Um , and know that it's
real and they are people , even though
they have big jobs with the military ,
they are people just like we are and
they were once their age and so the
students are , they were able to walk
away with . Oh , wow . I got to meet a
soldier today and these soldiers , I'm
gonna get to see again because we've
established a partnership . And so
they're excited about that . They're
looking forward to coming back again .
They're looking forward to having the
soldiers come over to them and
continuing to share . So I think the
students walk away with an experience ,
a memorable experience that they will
be able to talk about , um ,
continuously as they , as they grow and
they continue to learn and continue to
share their experiences in the arts and
beyond . I just think today ,
um , was the start of something big
and I will be more than it made my
heart happy to be a part of it , to
help establish it . And it's gonna make
me even happier in the years to come to
see it grow and develop into more
opportunities for our kids ,
opportunities for the military , um
opportunities for our community to make
connections even further beyond the
school building and beyond the base um
further into the community , maybe with
um business owners , um other community
um organizations that really when we
come together , we have to remember ,
we come together for the sake of the
kids because they are our tomorrow . We
are today , but they are our tomorrow
and we have to pour into them . So
that's the goal here .