Lincoln Center Education
Ashley Renee Watkins is an accomplished adjunct professor at Roc Nation School of Music Sports & Entertainment and a music curriculum specialist for K-12 programs at The Juilliard School. With extensive experience as an independent consultant, Ashley facilitates sessions for organizations to enhance inclusive practices in the arts, collaborating with notable entities such as Americans for the Arts and The Metropolitan Opera. As a multi-genre singer-songwriter, Ashley debuted the single "Red Wine" in 2018 and performs as a soprano in the duo ACTE II Music LLC. Additional roles include teaching artist faculty at Lincoln Center Education and previous positions with Big Thought and The Dallas Opera, underscoring a strong commitment to arts education. Ashley holds a master's and bachelor's degree in voice and opera from the University of Oklahoma, and attended Dillard University.
Lincoln Center Education
Lincoln Center Education (LCE) brings together all educational, family, and community-based activities of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Its mission is to enrich the lives of students, educators, and lifelong learners through engagement with the arts in various environments. Since its inception, LCE has reached 20 million people internationally. In 2015/16, LCE celebrates its 40th anniversary. LCE's Learning Framework fosters critical thinking skills applicable to all school subjects and the workplace. Core programs are: • Pre-K-12 school programs: more than 25,000 students participate in the arts annually; • Higher education: LCE trains teacher candidates in arts education at 10 colleges and universities and partners with Hunter College to offer the Lincoln Center Scholars program; • Community and family programs, which bring families to the Lincoln Center campus and/or bring the arts to neighborhoods; • Research and training, and thought leadership and research in arts education and school reform; • Consultancies: LCE shares best practices in arts education nationally and internationally. LCE projects for underserved populations include: • Family-linc makes orchestra seats for Lincoln Center campus performances available to low-income families; • Boro-linc partners with community organizations and Lincoln Center's resident organizations to bring free performances to all NYC boroughs; • Arts Audition Boot Camp prepares 8th graders from low-income communities to audition for high school arts programs; • Arts in the Middle brings the arts to underserved NYC middle schools and engages the entire school community in the arts; • The Lincoln Center Scholars Alternative Certification Program for NYC arts teachers fast-tracks the placement of high-quality art teachers in public schools; • An international teaching artist training and certification program provides comprehensive training that prepares artists for a broad array of assignments.