Burbank – Education Through Music-LA partner schools were proud to receive awards from California State, including the Gold Ribbon and Exemplary Arts Awards. CA State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced the winning Gold Ribbon Award Recipients on April 13, 2016, which included Providencia Elementary, McKinley and Washington Elementary in Burbank.

According to the California Department of Education, the California Gold Ribbon Schools Award was created to honor schools in place of the California Distinguished Schools Program, which is on hiatus while California creates new assessment and accountability systems. Nearly 6,000 elementary schools were eligible to apply this year. The Exemplary Program Awards were created in 2013 to recognize schools carrying out goals in the Blueprint for Great Schools.