DEARBORN — SURA Arts Academy, a free, diversity-themed digital photography instruction program for children run by the Arab American National Museum (AANM), has emerged from among 320 nominations to become one of 50 semifinalists for the 2008 Coming Up Taller Award.

Presented by the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities, the Coming Up Taller Award recognizes the best American arts- and humanities-based programs that serve children beyond school hours.

 “SURA is our first after-school educational program at the Arab American National Museum, which has been open for just three years,” says Celine Taminian, the Museum’s assistant director. “Being recognized as a semifinalist by Coming Up Taller is a significant honor. It will build our general reputation for excellence and help the AANM establish itself as a national cultural institution.”

 A national jury of field experts is currently reviewing the 50 semifinalist programs, with an announcement regarding winners expected this summer. Winners receive a $10,000 cash award, leadership enhancement training, and national recognition.

 SURA is an Arabic word for photograph. In SURA Arts Academy, students in grades six through eight from Dearborn and southwest Detroit are loaned new digital cameras; professional photographers then instruct the children on their operation during weekly sessions held at Munger Elementary School, 5525 Martin Street, Detroit.

 However, the camera is also a catalyst for discussion and the exploration of issues such as self-awareness, respect for others and the role of young people in their communities. Exhibitions of student photography are staged every fall at the AANM as the culmination of the previous academic year’s sessions. In addition, SURA students interact and share their work via the Internet with young people in a similar program in Amman, Jordan.

 “Arts education is increasingly important for youth, especially where school budgets are being cut and such programs are being eliminated from the curriculum,” says AANM Educator Lynn Blasey, who has coordinated SURA. “According to The Arts and Civic Engagement report published by the National Endowment for the Arts, the decrease in arts participation for youth results in decreased exercise, volunteerism, and civic participation. But in our SURA Arts Academy, we’ve noticed increased grades and participation in both school and community activities among our participating students.”

 SURA Arts Academy is funded by The Skillman Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the U.S. Department of State.

 Students entering grades six through eight are invited to participate in the SURA Arts Academy Summer Camp at the Arab American National Museum and various locations Monday, June 23 through Saturday, June 28. Participants get the use of a digital camera during the camp, free field trips including transportation, and free breakfast and lunch. Contact Nahleh Ali at 313.624.0210 or nail@accesscommunity.org to register your child for the summer camp and for information about the upcoming fall session; registration materials are also available online at www.arabamericanmuseum.org.

 Created in 1960, The Skillman Foundation is a private philanthropy committed to helping children in metropolitan Detroit by improving their homes, schools and neighborhoods. The goal of the Foundation’s programs is to achieve significant results for kids. Skillman grantmaking primarily supports nonprofit organizations and agencies working in six Detroit neighborhoods – Southwest Detroit (Vernor & Chadsey-Condon), Brightmoor, Osborn, Central and Cody-Rouge – and innovative, successful schools throughout the city of Detroit.

 An independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Arts is the official arts organization of the United States government. The NEA is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. The National Endowment for the Arts is the largest annual funder of the arts in the United States.

 The Arab American National Museum documents, preserves, celebrates, and educates the public on the history, life, culture, and contributions of Arab Americans.  We serve as a resource to enhance knowledge and understanding about Arab Americans and their presence in this country.  The Arab American National Museum is a project of ACCESS, a Dearborn, Michigan-based nonprofit human services and cultural organization. Learn more at www.arabamericanmuseum.org and www.accesscommunity.org.

 The Arab American National Museum is a proud Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Read about the Affiliations program at //affiliations.si.edu.

 The Museum is located at 13624 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, MI, 48126. Museum hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday (10 a.m.-6 p.m. May through August); noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday, Tuesday; Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission is $6 for adults; $3 for students, seniors and children 6-12; ages 5 and under, free. Call 313.582.2266 for further information.