An Advocate for Arts Education

The University of Central Oklahoma recognizes the importance of the arts in the educational development of Oklahomans and the need for cohesive, statewide leadership in the field of arts education.

In 2002, the College of Arts, Media & Design at UCO established the Oklahoma Center for Arts Education (OCAE) to recognize, cultivate, promote, and strengthen arts education programs in Oklahoma schools and communities.

The Oklahoma Center for Arts Education serves as both a professional development institute and a learning resources center benefiting educators, artists, students, parents, businesses, cultural organizations, arts associations and concerned citizens throughout the state and region.

The OCAE, through sponsorship of meaningful activities, development of partnerships, and collaboration with a wide variety of individuals and organizations, focuses on four areas to fulfill its purpose: Professional Development, Arts Integration, Advocacy, and Research and Learning.                                      

Oklahoma Center for Arts Education Mission Statement
The mission of the Oklahoma Center for Arts Education is to assure excellence in arts education through professional development, collaboration, and research.

About Hayden Roberts

Hayden Roberts is the Director of the Oklahoma Center for Arts Education at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO). Hayden holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal studies from Sarah Lawrence College and a Master of Arts degree in folk studies from Western Kentucky University. He is currently finishing his doctoral studies at the University of Oklahoma in cultural and social geography. Through his education, Hayden has studied visual art (primarily film and painting), modern art, and American history on the undergraduate level. He has studied cultural conservation, folk genres, ethnography, and oral history on the graduate level. His professional and doctoral research interests include the study of folk narratives in families, folk arts in education, folklore and technology, and the development of community identity through cultural expressions.

Professionally, Hayden has worked in higher education, for non-profits, and for government agencies. His experience includes developing and implementing educational programs for museums and cultural groups like the Kentucky Museum, Historic Carnton Plantation, Oklahoma Folklife Council, Mammoth Cave National Park, Cherokee National Historical Society, and the Oklahoma History Center. Hayden has also taught humanities and social science classes at Western Kentucky University and the University of Phoenix. He is a member of the Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma Folklife Council, Oklahoma Museum Association, American Folklore Society, American Association of Geographers, and the Arts Education Partnership.

In addition to museums and academia, Hayden worked for the Tennessee Arts Commission as the Director of Arts in Education. In this capacity, he directed educational grant projects and produced workshops and seminars for teachers and other arts educators. For more than 10 years, Hayden has been involved in projects that promote cultural conservation, arts integration, arts advocacy, and the development of better community support of arts programming especially in schools.

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Page updated 10/08/07