Photo Flash: PTA Honored Carol Channing On 5/2

With more that 4,000 in attendance, Carol Channing was honored for her unstinting support of the arts in education at the PTA Convention on May 2nd, 2009.   The Children's Arts Advocate Award 2009 - the state PTA's first such award - was presented to the First Lady of Musical Theatre during an appearance at the organization's 110th annual convention. She and her husband, Harry Kullijian spoke to a crowd of thousands of PTA members and delegates, representing the organization's nearly 1 million volunteer members in the state of California.

Channing delivered the message - in word and song - that the arts in public schools help students to learn more effectively, get better grades and stay in school as well as helps create safer schools for our children.   Taking the difficult financial times into consideration, Carol and Harry offered a slightly different version of the A. B. C's with A Buck for Carol, stating that if everyone of the million plus PTA membership sent them a dollar (http://www.channingarts.org/donations.htm) they would use the money to further their mission of ensuring arts education in all public schools, provide university scholarships and musical instruments to under funded schools. "It (the Arts) opened me up," she said of her own exposure to the arts within her family and in her public school education. "Let's keep the arts alive, let's keep young hearts alive," she sang during her presentation with a special song written just for her by a truck driver for the Gallo Wine company..

Kullijian also addressed the crowd, pointing to research showing that arts in school promote enhanced learning in all subject areas. Channing and he started the Dr. Carol Channing& Harry Kullijian Foundation for the Arts, is engaged in a statewide awareness campaign heralding the benefits of arts in the public school curriculum in California. "We want to have an alliance to bring arts back to the public schools," Kullijian told the crowd, before presenting the premiere of a public service announcement, produced for the Foundation by B. Harlan Boll and CityTV Santa Monica, to promote the arts in education. Among those delivering the important message are JoAnne Worley, Lily Tomlin, Phill Lewis, Florence Henderson, Lesley Ann Warren, Kate Linder, Alec Mapa, Donna Mills, Stefanie Powers and Kevin Sorbo.  As PSA participant, Florence Henderson, who herself recently accepted an invitation from Janet Seto, Principal of La Quinta Middle School, to appear before the student body to encourage the children, said "Anything we can do these days to support our youth and encourage their education is too important to ignore."  Kullijian announced the donation of enough DVDs to provide one to every school district in California, to be delivered in cooperation with the state PTA.

Pam Brady, president of the Calfiornia State PTA, praised the couple's  efforts to ensure every child's right to an arts education. "Carol and her husband have dedicated themselves to bringing the arts back to our schools, back to our children," Brady said. "Without the arts, a child's ability to create and to dream is harmed. We can't afford to shortchange our children and our future by denying an arts education for all students."

The state PTA award is the latest in a long line of awards for Channing for arts and for arts advocacy. She was presented with the National PTA Life Achievement Award in June 2008 for her arts in education advocacy and late last year, the CA Legislature acknowledged Carol with a Certificate of Recognition presented by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.  In the last 12 months, Channing has been visiting California schools doing master classes and concerts (or Q&A) to raise money for their ARTS departments.  Carol's next visit is scheduled at the Lisa J. Mails Elementary School, on Friday, May 29th, appearing before assemblies with children Grades K-4 and Grades 5-7.

In addition to scholarships the Foundation is proud to have just secured numerous musical instruments for the Five Points School near Fresno. According to Principal Baldo Hernandez, "Our initial reaction was that of shock and then amazement and gratitude. How is it that out of all the schools in our country, Westside Elementary School is chosen to be the first to receive such a wonderful donation? God does work in mysterious ways.  We believe that the arts are just as important as any academic subject. We (Schools) have focused all efforts on academics and have forgotten the arts. The arts are the first to go when cuts need to be made. This has never been an option at Westside. We believe the arts, in particular music, is the key element in creating  productive citizens in our community. Music has been a part of Westside since the early 50's, when I attended School at Westside from 1960-1968.  I can speak from experience, it was a wonderful time in my life. Music changed me, made me a better person."

The California State PTA has nearly 1 million members throughout the state working on behalf of public schools, children and families, with the motto, "Every child, one voice." The PTA is the nation's oldest, largest and highest profile volunteer organization working to improve the education, health and welfare of all children and youth. The PTA also advocates at national, state and local levels for education and family issues. The PTA is nonprofit, nonsectarian and noncommercial. For more information about the California State PTA, visit www.capta.org.

Carol Channing and camera crew

Harry Kullijian, Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carol Channing

Carol Channing with Jo Loss

Lesley Ann Warren, Florence Henderson and Lily Tomlin

Stefanie Powers

Alec Mapa and Donna Mills