The Eastside Memorial Vertical Team has been selected to be the next group of schools to join the Creative Learning Initiative. They will join the CLI in the 2015–16 school year.

A committee of parents, teachers and administrators participating in the CLI evaluated four vertical team applications and chose the Eastside team because they expressed a desire to improve the access and equity to arts-rich experiences for all students.

By the end of 2015–16, more than 2,000 teachers will have received training in arts-based instructional strategies, directly affecting 35 percent of the district—approximately 30,000 students.

As part of the Eastside Memorial Vertical Team, students from Allison, Brooke, Govalle, Metz, Ortega and Zavala elementary schools attend Martin Middle School. Those students then attend Eastside Memorial High School. Every school in the team is a Title I campus.

Vertical team applications for the 2016–16 school year will be available Oct. 1.

Learn more about the Creative Learning Initiative at www.fineartsaustin.org.