The Norton Center receives donation from Danville Pediatrics to recognize the service of Dr. Larry Scott

NORTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS 

News release

Danville Pediatrics has donated $5,000 to benefit the Norton Center Arts for the Classroom Ticket Subsidy (A.C.T.S.) program, which makes available free tickets to area school children to attend Norton Center student matinees. The gift was made in recognition of Dr. Larry Scott, and will provide 625 students from Danville Elementary schools free tickets to attend the matinee of Mr. Popper’s Penguins on March 5, 2018. 

Dr. Scott will retire from the practice this year.

“Danville Pediatrics is proud to recognize Dr. Larry Scott for his many accomplishments over his 42 year medical career,” remarked Joshua Wiglesworth, on behalf of Danville Pediatrics. “Dr. Scott is the physician who brought pediatrics to this area.   He has left an indelible mark on this community by helping to nurture and grow a health care system that has positively impacted the health of children throughout this region. Dr. Scott often shares a lesson with medical students and young physicians about being a pediatrician:   you can heal a few, help many and comfort all.  Many generations have felt the warmth of his comfort and compassion, and many future generations will benefit from the standard of care he has created.”

“The Danville Schools is grateful for the generosity of Danville Pediatrics,” said Superintendent Keith Look. “Their funding of A.C.T.S. arts experiences for our students is not only a monetary gift, but one of culture, exposure, and experience. These are often life-changing moments when students first see a character with whom they identify or follow a plotline that touches close to home. The connection to that which is presented on stage affirms their individual meaning and outlook, providing new lenses and tools to make sense of the work around them.”

As a recognized leader in the presentation of the arts, the Norton Center is uniquely positioned to provide the tools for students to explore their own education through the arts, as well as the tools for educators to better instruct arts learning in the classroom.

The Norton Center views education as vital to its mission and believes increased arts education is fundamental to success in the classroom On average, over 70 percent of Kentucky public school students participate in free & reduced lunch. In some counties, including those surrounding Danville and the Norton Center, that number jumps to over 90 percent. 

Recognizing the need to increase access but decrease cost for local families and schools, the Norton Center A.C.T.S. program was born. Since 2012, nearly 9,000 regional students have had access to free arts experiences through the A.C.T.S. program. Through personal donations, corporate sponsorships, and community support, A.C.T.S. helps to maximize attendance and provide access to these crucial life-enhancing experiences for Kentucky youth by greatly reducing financial barriers.

Complete information on the Norton Center Student Matinee Series and the A.C.T.S. program can be found online at www.nortoncenter.com/education.

Rotary Report

The Need for Creativity & Innovation in Our Rapidly Changing World

By DAVE FAIRCHILD

Danville Rotary

Dr. John Roush, the 20th president of Centre College, spoke at Rotary’s Jan. 12.  His address focused on Centre’s carefully crafted approach to preparing their students for a bright future in a technology-driven environment of unprecedented change.  He began his presentation by citing several examples of the degree to which technology is impacting our social and economic environment: Uber, the world’s largest taxi company owns no vehicles; Airbnb, the world’s largest hospitality company, owns no real estate; Facebook, the world’s most popular media provider, creates no content; Alibaba, the world’s most valuable retailer has no inventory.

He used these examples to make the point that tomorrow’s leaders must be able to anticipate, plan for and embrace change.  Not all change is good. Community and business leaders will need to be able to evaluate change, selectively exploit change and often times engage in its execution. Roush defined creativity as the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, pattern, and relationships to create meaningful new ideas.

“Creativity is the spark-of-brilliance,” he said.

Innovation, as used by Dr. Roush, is the capacity and the willingness to make changes in something that is established, “it’s the get ‘er done!”  Both creativity and innovation, as Roush used them, involve processes.  The processes involve proactive attitudes, hard work, and acceptance of enviable failure.  Success requires working within a team to identify and distill good ideas, in support of a goal.  

“One must learn the rules before you break them.”  

With the preceding as background, Dr. Roush gave a few actions taken at Centre over time that he considers creative and innovative:

• In 2002 Centre made a commitment to “guarantee graduation in four years, including a study abroad experience, and an internship or under-graduate research opportunity.”

• Making study abroad a defining element of a Centre education, rather than a privilege available to only a select few.

• Creating a “culture of philanthropy” among our alumni that enables our creativity.

• Creation of a “family of scholarships,” which is a relatively new strategy at Centre.  Each scholarship on its own would not be consider “creative”, but collectively they have strengthened the college’s ability to attract the quality and diversity of graduates that Centre is committed to produce.  The earliest members of the family of scholarships, Bonner and Posse, started over 10 years ago. Others have been added over time, the scholarship programs are:

• Bonner scholars commit to complete an average of 10 hours of service a week (140 hours per semester) during the academic year. These hours are made up mainly of direct service at a community organization. Bonner Scholars are required to participate in two summer internships at nonprofit organizations of their choice anywhere in the U.S. or abroad. Students with financial support needs receive undertake community service projects.  

• Posse Scholars receive full-ride merit scholarships at Centre and are expected to help create an atmosphere that is welcoming for students of all backgrounds.

• Brown Fellows program, started in 2009, awards a full-ride-plus scholarship.  Recipients are provided four summer enrichment experiences, beginning the summer before their first year at Centre. Summer enrichment experiences in subsequent years are organized around themes of service, research, international study, and leadership.

 • Grissom Scholars program, started in 2016, offers ten high achieving first-generation college students a full-tuition scholarship and $5,000 in educational enrichment funds.  Winners are selected from a highly competitive, immensely talented group of applicants.

• Lincoln Scholars program is available to first year applicants and provides 10 students, with the capacity and deep desire to change the world, a full-ride-plus scholarship and three summer enrichment experiences.

The most important of Dr. Roush’s examples, by his own assessment, was Centre’s decision to spotlight “great teaching.”  He phrased it as, “our 1st obligation.”  It involves improving the process of recruiting, hiring, and growing professors and lowering the student/faculty ratio to 10:1.

The last example Roush gave is the decision to make “performance” the primary element of Centre’s educational program.  Centre students are encouraged to perform by expressing themselves in the classroom, the laboratory, and through student leadership and internship opportunities.  The idea is to foster the behavior during the college years when the “cost of failure” is relatively low.

Dr. Roush ended his presentation by expressing his belief that Centre graduates will have a “bright future in all their forms of work and service.”