This year, Young Audiences of Houston is highlighting two schools who integrate the arts into their science, technology, engineering, and math (known as the STEM-to-STEAM movement) programs. Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy and Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men will receive the Arts Empowerment Award at Disco Galaxy Soiree, Young Audience’s annual gala, from 6 – 9 p.m. on May 7, 2015, at Rice University’s Cohen House.

Each year, Young Audiences honors exemplary campuses in the greater Houston area that are cultivating the next generation of leaders while supporting their students’ creative growth, innovation, and hard work. These two schools were nominated because of their forward-thinking vision of integrating the arts into science, technology, engineering, and math. The other honorees of the night are Dr. William E. “Billy” Cohn and the Boeing Company.

Founded in 1956, Young Audiences of Houston is an independent chapter of Young Audiences, Inc., the nation’s leading arts-in-education nonprofit organization, and first organization to be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Young Audiences implements nearly 4,170 programs each year with a roster of 152 artists that reaches more than 207,420 pre-K through 12th grade students and teachers annually at schools, libraries, community centers, and hospitals.