The Acadiana Center for the Arts announces the expansion of its arts-in-education partnership into all 23 public schools in Iberia Parish.
In the 2025–26 school year, AcA will present 150 live, professional performances in schools across Acadiana at no cost to students. Performances span a wide range of genres and disciplines, including music, dance, theatre, puppetry, and storytelling, and are led by professional artists from across the region.
“We are thrilled to expand our arts programming into every Iberia Parish school through this partnership with the AcA,” said Iberia Parish Superintendent Heath Hulin.
In addition to performances, AcA will provide more than 1,000 in-classroom experiences through 45-minute artist-led lessons, giving students hands-on opportunities to engage with a variety of art forms. These sessions integrate the arts into core subjects such as science, math, social studies, and English, encouraging creativity and deeper engagement with academic content.
This milestone comes as ACA, the arts council for Acadiana, celebrates its 50th anniversary, marking a half-century of bringing arts-based learning into schools across the region.
The expansion is supported by The Visionaries, a group of dedicated donors at the Community Foundation of Acadiana who have committed matching funds to help bring these programs to students in every parish across Acadiana. Kip Schumacher, a leading donor, stated the arts are vital for developing professional skills like critical thinking and communication in young people.
“The arts also help to improve academic performance and school attendance – a true win-win for schools and students,” said Schumacher.
She adds, “Arts integration enriches our students’ educational experience, supports academic success, and nurtures the creative potential of every child. This collaboration reflects our commitment to providing high-quality, well-rounded learning opportunities for each and every student in Iberia Parish.”