Audubon Nature Institute and New Orleans Museum of Art Reward 175,000 Taylor Scholars
New Orleans, LA (PRWEB) April 30, 2014 -- Representatives of Audubon Nature Institute and the New Orleans Museum of Art gathered May 28, 2014 to celebrate a longstanding partnership with the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation. Phyllis M. Taylor, Chairman and President of the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation, announced that in the 2013/2014 academic year, the Taylor Scholars Awards program rewarded more than 175,000 students by providing them with free one-year memberships to the New Orleans Museum of Art, Audubon Zoo, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium.
Since its inception, more than 2 million students statewide have qualified for free memberships to Louisiana's most popular visitor attractions. Eligible students earn a one-year membership to NOMA and Audubon attractions for achieving a minimum 2.5 grade point average.
"It was my late husband's dream to inspire the youth of Louisiana and teach them that hard work brings rewards," said Mrs. Taylor. "The educational opportunities that they will receive from their visits to Audubon attractions and the New Orleans Museum of Art will expand their horizons and encourage them to continue their educations."
The Taylor/Audubon Students and Scholars program was created in 1996 through a generous gift from the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation to establish in perpetuity, a reward to Louisiana's students for their hard work in the classroom. This program was the first of its kind in the nation. In 1997, it was followed with the creation of the Taylor/NOMA Scholars program through an endowment from the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation.
“Like so many accomplished individuals, the Taylors achieved success by identifying their passions,’’ said Audubon Nature Institute President and CEO Ron Forman. “The Taylors valued education and they created a way for anyone who wanted to get a college degree in Louisiana to get one if they worked for it. With the Taylor Scholars Awards program, they are sending our young leaders another important message: that learning does not stop at the classroom.’’
“NOMA is an institution for lifelong learning where education is fundamental to all that we do," said Susan M. Taylor, Director of the New Orleans Museum of Art. "Thanks in large measure to the Taylor Foundation, the museum is able to serve our community with a range of educational offerings. NOMA uses the collection as an important foundation for teaching that includes an interdisciplinary approach embracing the humanities as well as STEM subjects."
Saturday, May 31, 2014 and Saturday, November 29, 2014, are the official “Taylor Scholar Awards’’ days at Audubon Zoo, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium and the New Orleans Museum of Art. Students may bring their parents or guardians plus two guests with them for free on those days as they visit the facilities to which they've been awarded a Taylor membership.
Frank Donze, Audubon Nature Institute, http://www.auduboninstitute.org/, +1 (504) 212-5335, [email protected]
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