The Juilliard School and Connections Education Launch Juilliard eLearning, The Conservatory's First-ever Online Courses

NEW YORK and BALTIMORE, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting in the 2012-2013 school year, The Juilliard School and Connections Education are launching JUILLIARD eLEARNING, for K-12 students and educators everywhere.  Juilliard eLearning is the world-famous conservatory's first-ever group of online courses, presenting an exciting new option for teaching music and related courses, with distribution and implementation by leading provider of online learning solutions, Connections Education, part of the global education company, Pearson.

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Juilliard eLearning will be developed to the same high standards educators have come to expect of both partners. The Juilliard School (www.juilliard.edu), the nation's pre-eminent school for performing arts education, and Connections Education (www.ConnectionsEducation.com), will develop and deliver innovative online courses and resources for K-12 educators and students – helping to extend Juilliard–structured learning into homes and classrooms; anywhere there is an Internet connection.  Juilliard eLearning links Juilliard's acknowledged history of excellence in performing arts education and Connections Education's expertise in high-quality online learning.

The program will launch to an already-established national audience. Connections Education will offer the new arts education courses to the 40,000+ K-12 students enrolled in its national network of Connections Academy virtual public schools; it will also market the courses to educational institutions and directly to K-12 students and adult, lifelong learners.

 "Providing exemplary arts education programs to youth and the community has always been central to our mission at The Juilliard School," said Joseph W. Polisi, President of The Juilliard School.  "Our partnership with Connections Education will greatly enhance our ability to fulfill this mission.  Juilliard eLearning will expand K-12 educators' and students' access to Juilliard performing arts educational content, delivered via the highest quality e-learning courses and materials that have become the hallmark of Connections Education over the past decade."

Educators and e-learning experts from Connections Education will collaborate with Juilliard's noted faculty, teaching artists and designated alumni to develop and manage the content of Juilliard eLearning courses.

The first courses to be offered by Juilliard eLearning in the 2012-2013 school year include Elementary, Middle and High School Music, and will be constructed around and aligned to the National Standards. In subsequent years, courses such as music theory, music history, drama history, or dance history, may expand the Juilliard eLearning offerings.  Synchronous virtual music instruction courses and virtual "master classes" are also being considered.

Chief Education Officer for Connections Education, Steve Guttentag commented, "The Juilliard School is widely recognized as the quality standard bearer for performing arts education, so we're really honored to be Juilliard's partner for this initiative and to develop courses together for students in grades K-12."

Juilliard eLearning courses and learning materials will feature exclusive music, video, animations and other immersive content, plus synchronous and a-synchronous learning opportunities from both Juilliard's experts and Connections Education's certified teachers.

The Connections opportunity was identified by Brandgenuity, Juilliard's independent trademark licensing agency, after an extensive review and analysis of the online K-12 educational market. Brandgenuity will continue to assist Juilliard in extending its authority into new products and services. 

For more information about the Juilliard eLearning, call 888-440-2890.  A public website with more information will be available soon.

About The Juilliard School
The Juilliard School established this country's standard for education in the performing arts, beginning with music in 1905. Its alumni are among the most famous recitalists, orchestral and operatic musicians, as well as arts administrators and teachers.  In 1951, its Dance Division was established, with combined training in contemporary and ballet technique. As in music, Juilliard's Dance division boasts of alumni who are among the most accomplished artists in their field, among them Pina Bausch, Martha Clarke, Lar Lubovitch, and Paul Taylor. Juilliard became part of Lincoln Center in 1968, and added a four-year drama program. In 2001, Juilliard broke new ground with the addition of its jazz program; a graduate program in Historical Performance began in fall 2009, the same year that Juilliard inaugurated its partnership with the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. Currently more than 800 young artists from 44 states (plus Washington, D.C.) and 46 foreign countries attend Juilliard.

More information at www.juilliard.edu

About Connections Education
Connections Education is a leading, fully-accredited provider of high-quality, highly accountable virtual education solutions for students in grades K–12.  Since 2001, the company's Connections Academy division has delivered individualized learning to students through virtual public schools and a private online academy.  In the 2012-2013 school year, 24 Connections Academy virtual public schools will operate in 22 states and are expected to serve more than 40,000 students from across the U.S. The Connections Learning division meets the needs of schools, school districts, and other institutions looking to develop and enhance their online learning programs.  Connections Learning delivers a full range of targeted digital learning solutions to the K-12 education community including online courses, a program for homebound students, a digital learning platform, and more.  More than 1000 schools, school districts, state departments of education and other educational institutions, serving tens of thousands of students throughout the United States and beyond, are already utilizing Connections Learning products and services. Connections Education is committed to expanding quality education through technology and helping students achieve both academic and personal success. For more information, call 800-382-6010 or visit www.ConnectionsEducation.com. Connections Education is part of the global learning company Pearson (NYSE:PSO).

More information at www.ConnectionsEducation.com

About Brandgenuity LLC                 
Brandgenuity LLC is a leading independent brand licensing agency based in New York. The agency was voted #1 Licensing Agency of the Year 2008 by a leading industry publication. Brandgenuity extends world-class brands into new categories to build awareness and generate incremental revenue. Turnkey licensing services include strategic licensing planning, prospecting, legal support & contract negotiation, and retail development. The agency's clients include HISTORY and A+E Networks, Church & Dwight, Pabst Brewing Company, MGM Studios, Harlequin Enterprises, The Juilliard School, Pella, World Poker Tour, Kathy Davis Studios, FX Networks and The Really Useful Group (The Phantom of the Opera), among others.

For more information please visit us at www.brandgenuity.com

SOURCE Connections Education