Local resident named 'Outstanding Parent Advocate'

Judith Wilchynski Westborough - For the past 24 years, the Massachusetts Arts Education Collaborative (MAEC), formerly the Massachusetts Alliance for Arts Education, recognizes exceptional individuals and organizations that are making strides to ensure that every child in Massachusetts receives a high quality arts education.

The Outstanding Parent Advocate award for 2008 was recently presented to Westborough resident Judith Wilchynski at MAEC's annual conference. The award honors a parent or parent organization for demonstrating outstanding support for the arts, and working to improve arts education in schools and community by demonstrating leadership in promoting arts education and building community support. Wilchynski has been an advocate for the arts for over 12 years. For four of the last seven years, she has served as president of the Westborough Music Parents Association.

Wilchynski was nominated by David Jost, coordinator of fine arts for the Westborough school district. Westborough resident and MAEC Leadership Committee member Jonathan Rappaport presented the award, which was a glass vase created by Massachusetts artist Michael Magyar.

For more information, visit the website at www.artslearning.org.