Owl Creek principal wins 100 Walton Arts Center tickets

Some people say it’s a good idea to bring donuts to work on the first day of a new job. Kristen Scanlon, the new principal at Owl Creek Elementary School here in Fayetteville, has something even better: 100 Walton Arts Center Broadway show tickets for her school.

Scanlon was the winner of a drawing at the WAC’s 2009 AWE (Arts with Education) Institute Luncheon, which honored teachers and administrators who make arts and arts learning a part of their school’s education process.

“I am absolutely thrilled to have won such a terrific prize,” said Scanlon. “The arts are an important part of my life, and I am pleased to be able to share them and promote them with children and families in my school.”

The tickets will also give students, parents, administrators and teachers access to shows that they might not be able to see otherwise.

Seventy percent of the students at Owl Creek receive free or reduced-price lunches, which makes access to Broadway tickets particularly unique for Scanlon. “Many of (the tickets) will be used by teams of teachers to provide students who have never visited Walton Arts Center outside of school field trips with the experience of attending a Broadway show…being part of an adult theater audience.”

Owl Creek is a WAC 100% School. The status is given to those schools who commit to bringing every class to the arts center at least once a year through the Colgate Classroom Series, a series of reduced-price matinee performances.

“We are delighted that one of our 100% Schools received the Broadway tickets,” said Laura Goodwin, VP of Learning and Engagement at Walton Arts Center. “Our goal is that every school in Northwest Arkansas will become a 100% School. We believe that every student should have the opportunity to experience the wonder of live, world-class performances at Walton Arts Center,” she said.

In addition, Owl Creek plans to use the tickets as silent auction fundraising items, pairing them with dinner gift certificates and raising funds for learning materials and special activities