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Changing Education Through the Arts Workshops

èßäAVoffers professional learning opportunities in both teaching the arts and integrating the arts with other subject areas. Workshops align with appropriate standards, including the Common Core State Standards, the Virginia Standards of Learning, and the National Core Arts Standards. Events may take place at the Kennedy Center or online.

About the Program

In addition to being the national cultural center, the Kennedy Center is a dynamic classroom.

Here hundreds of teachers, from across the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, come to further develop and refine their skills for teaching in, through, and about the arts. Through the Kennedy Center's Changing Education Through the Arts (CETA) program, teachers study with their colleagues in courses and workshops led by expert teaching artists and arts educators. They learn about the arts and ways to integrate the arts in their teaching. They study after school, during the school day, on weekends, and during the summer. They participate in a range of programs designed to meet their varying needs, interests, and experience.

Each year, more than 700 teachers participate in approximately 60 courses and workshops. Teachers attribute the popularity of these programs to three things:

  1. the focus on critical needs and concerns of schools
  2. the outstanding instructors
  3. the participatory nature of the learning experiences.

CETA professional learning opportunities are available to any teacher in the DC metropolitan area. More in-depth programs take place in Kennedy Center partner schools that have committed to a school-wide focus on arts integration.

Two additional individuals who have a strong influence on the implementation of professional learning in the classroom—teaching artists who lead workshops and courses and school administrators who also benefit from Kennedy Center workshop/courses designed especially for them.

Professional learning programs developed and refined locally through this program are shared nationally through the Kennedy Center's Partners in Education program.

Courses/workshops help teachers learn both about the arts and about arts integration.

Teachers learn about the arts from the perspective of creators, performing artists, directors, designers, and critics. Through performances, discussions, interviews, backstage tours, lecture/ demonstrations, and master classes, teachers gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of the performing arts. These Explore the Arts events are also open to members of the general public.

Teachers learn how to integrate the arts with other curricula. CETA Partner Schools have had a strong interest in extending and supplementing their arts education programs with arts integration. The schools’ arts specialists work with the Kennedy Center to coordinate and support efforts to help teachers develop knowledge and skills to integrate the arts with other subject areas. Hands-on, participatory workshops/courses target teachers of various grade level spans (e.g., pre K–grade 2, grades 3-6, 6-8, and 9-12) who serve students from a wide range of backgrounds and skills.

Mission

The mission of the Kennedy Center’s Changing Education Through the Arts (CETA) program is to develop teachers’, schools’, and school districts’ knowledge and skills in the arts and arts integration so that they include the arts as a critical component in every child’s education.

Goals and Objectives

The goals and objectives of the CETA program are to:

  1. Help students learn through arts integrated instruction,
  2. Provide teachers with ongoing professional learning opportunities and support,
  3. Affect whole school change by establishing a shared vision for arts-integrated instruction and a climate for teacher learning and collaboration,
  4. Influence school district support for the arts in education by establishing ongoing relationships and professional learning opportunities for principals and district-level arts supervisory personnel,
  5. Develop a cadre of teaching artists who have the ability to design and lead professional learning opportunities for teachers,
  6. Share information, exemplars, and resources developed through the CETA program with arts organization and school district partnerships through the Kennedy Center’s national networks.
Partner Schools

èßäAVpartners with 16 schools that have committed to a whole school focus on arts integration. Over 400 teachers participate in ongoing, sustained professional learning to build their capacity to integrate the arts throughout the curriculum.

Key Features of the CETA Program for Partner Schools
  • Ongoing, Multi-Year Commitment
  • Multiple Formats of Professional Learning
  • Focus on both Classroom Teachers and Arts Specialists
  • Arts-Integrated Instruction
  • Program Improvement and Sustainability
  • Program Impact: Research and Evaluation
Contact Us

202-416-8000
Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

CETA Virtual Workshops

  • When I Say Poetry You Say Rocks: Introduction to Slam Poetry Writing
    For Teachers of Grades 3-8

    Led by Regie Cabico, Poetry Teaching Artist from Washington, D.C.

    We will get to the source of what makes great performance poetry by seeing how improvisation can generate exciting sensory details and inspire students to unlock the basic elements of voice, gesture & passion on the page to the stage in a nurturing environment. We will use sense memory and experimental wordplay to invigorate our language. We will look at ways to create a safe space so students can perform their poems. Be prepared to move, use your voice and write in an environment of praise.

    This is a synchronous, one-session workshop

    Tue., Oct. 1 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. ET

    $10

  • Eyes, Objects, Emotions: Social-Emotional Puppetry in the Classroom
    For Teachers of Grades K-2

    Led by Sam Jay Gold, Puppetry Teaching Artist from California

    Through this hands-on workshop, explore how puppetry can support elementary students of all abilities to communicate and manage emotions, collaborate and build community. We will dive into the foundational principles of basic puppet construction and manipulation through interactive exercises, scaffolding activities, and creative use of simple, everyday materials. Learn new techniques for engaging the emotional and imaginative impulses of individual students while also building a supportive, collaborative ensemble. Whether you’re new to puppetry or a seasoned-veteran, this workshop offers a fresh approach to combining visual and performing arts in the classroom — placing extra emphasis on adaptation and modification for neurodiverse communities.

    This is a synchronous, one-session workshop; 

    Thu., Oct. 3 from 7:00 – 9:00 p/m. ET

    $10

  • Living Tableau: Using the News to Create Theater

    For Teachers of Grades 5-8

    Led by Taylor St. John, drama teaching artist from Tennessee

    Develop your students’ media literacy skills by translating the news into a living tableau. In this workshop, participants will examine the news as their students consume it—through TikTok and Instagram—and become active responders to what they see. Using improvisation and devised theater, participants will build a story that critically examines the way we receive and interpret information in today’s world.

    This is a synchronous, two-session workshop; participants must attend both sessions.

    Session 1: Wed., Oct. 9, 4:30-6pm ET
    Session 2: Wed., Oct. 16, 4:30-6pm ET

    $20

  • Embodying Vocabulary and Processes: Co-constructing, Rehearsing, and Sharing Content Knowledge

    For Teachers of Grades 5-8

    Led by Josh Streeter, Theater Teaching Artist from Boston

    This interactive workshop utilizes the tools of voice, body, and imagination to help students understand, practice, and recall content vocabulary. Teachers will learn about and play with drama strategies that support teaching, assessment, and review of subject matter knowledge. Finally, participants will identify applications for use across the curriculum in their own context and offer approaches for modifications and adaptations to meet the needs of their learners.

    This is a synchronous, two-session workshop; participants must attend both sessions.

    Session 1: Thu., Nov. 7, 4:30-6pm ET
    Session 2: Thu., Nov. 14, 4:30-6pm ET

    $20

  • The Art of Correspondence
    For Teachers of Grades 3-12 

    Led by Trish Halverson, visual arts teaching artist from New York

    The "Mail Art" movement was coined in the 1960s and was centered around sending small-scale artworks through the postal service. This art form evolved into the New York Correspondence School which focused on artistic interactions and social interventions- eventually becoming an ongoing, global movement. In this workshop, we will use techniques that include collage, drawing, painting, stamping, and upcycled materials to create compelling envelopes and packaging for letters of all kinds. Integrating visual arts with history, civics, or English Language Arts content, educators will learn how “mail art” can be a vehicle to strengthen students’ writing and communication skills, develop historical thinking skills and make connections to the past, and cultivate their skills for civic engagement. Students might write persuasive letters to school leaders or politicians on topics they find important, participate in written cultural exchanges with classrooms abroad, or develop personal narratives; the possibilities are endless. In a time when AI has begun to blur the lines for personal writing and there is so much going in our world to communicate about, the art of correspondence seems more important than ever.

    This is a synchronous, one-session workshop.  

    Tue., Nov. 19 from 4:30 – 6 p.m. ET 

    $10

  • Exploring the Messages, Choices, and Impacts of Community Art

    For Teachers of Grades K-8

    Led by Kristen Kullberg, Visual Art Teaching Artist from D.C.

    Throughout history, how has community art informed and shaped our world as we know it? Join us in looking closely at different community art pieces from various cultures and time periods as we consider this big question. From historical context to materials used, we will delve into the nuances of art meant for the masses. Then, we will each have a chance to create our own piece of art to inspire our communities.

    This is a synchronous, two-session workshop; participants must attend both sessions.

    Session 1: Tue., Dec. 3, 4:30-6pm ET
    Session 2: Tue., Dec. 10, 4:30-6pm ET

    $20

  • Mood Music: Exploring Emotional Intelligence through Music Composition

    For Teachers of Grades K-5 

    Led by Danny Clay, music teaching artist from California 

    How can sound be used to express how we’re feeling, and better understand how others are feeling? In this two-part virtual workshop with teaching artist Danny Clay, K-5 educators will step into the role of composers, exploring how emotions map to sound and creating a bank of original musical ideas based on different types of emotions. Participants will then put their creative ideas to use in a variety of games, challenges, and literacy activities designed to foster emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and communication skills. 

    This is a synchronous, one-session workshop.  

    Thursday, Jan. 23 from 7:00-9:00pm ET 

    $20 

  • Breathe, Relate, and Create! Utilizing Experimental Art to Rebuild Trust in the Classroom

    For Teachers of Grades 3-12

    Led by ChelseaDee Harrison, Interdisciplinary Teaching Artist from D.C.

    Even in times of instability and uncertainty, school communities have the power to play a major role in healing social divisions and increasing a sense of community and connectedness. Utilizing experimental art-making strategies, we can celebrate hyper-local histories and the identities of our classmates and in turn plant the seeds for a thriving and resilient learning community. Experimental artmaking can be used as a way to embrace culture, deepen social trust, and improve complex learning capacity in students. In this two-part workshop series, we will explore how to build- or rebuild- trust within the learning community through a variety of arts integration strategies including creative writing, expressive movement, mindfulness practices, group dialogue, and collective digital art creation. Join us as we explore how to use experimental artmaking to deepen a sense of belonging and community in learning spaces. Classroom teachers, school administrators, Teaching Artists, and anyone working within school communities, you are invited to set aside some time to breathe, relate, and create together!

    This is a synchronous, two-session workshop; participants must attend both sessions.

    Session 1: Tue., Feb. 18, 4:30-6pm ET
    Session 2: Tue., Feb. 25, 4:30-6pm ET

    $20

  • The Joy of Math through Modern Art

    For Teachers of Grades K-5

    Led by Leah Newton, Visual Art Teaching Artist from California

    Discover engaging and supportive ways to extend learning from arts enhancement to arts integration. Participants will experience three arts education variations while making meaningful connections with mathematics and Art Master Piet Mondrian. This workshop will offer strategies, resources, and time for you to start developing your math instruction into accessible arts-integrated lessons.

    This is a synchronous, two-session workshop; participants must attend both sessions.

    Session 1: Tue., Mar. 4, 4:30-6pm ET
    Session 2: Tue., Mar. 11, 4:30-6pm ET

    $20

  • It’s Bigger than Hip Hop: Why Folks Say It Controls Your Brain

    For Teachers of Grades 3-12

    Led by James Miles, Music Teaching Artist from Washington

    The last several years have not been easy, from global viruses to extreme political divides, to mental health struggles, to gross inequities, and more. We have all had to adjust to a new perspective of life, and no one has felt that more greatly than young people. Yet, there is a way to support students in addressing those deficits by incorporating the culture of youth into classrooms. This includes the Relationships, Environment, Teaching Practice, and Philosophy that every teacher utilizes, and flipping the paradigm of education on its head. When we integrate the culture that youth participate in on a daily basis, students see themselves reflected in their academic content and can envision a world where they grow, where they belong, and where they can thrive. It involves a shift in mindset that allows ourselves to be more creative, compassionate, and critical. And it all boils down to just two words: Hip Hop.

    This is a synchronous, two-session workshop; participants must attend both sessions.

    Session 1: Thu., Mar. 20, 4:30-6pm ET
    Session 2: Thu., Mar. 27, 4:30-6pm ET

    $20

CETA In-Person Learning Days at the Kennedy Center REACH

For Teachers of Grades K-5

Unlock your Creativity at our Professional Learning Days! Join us for an inspiring day of in-person professional development at the Kennedy Center. Dive into concurrent workshops led by our renowned Teaching Artists, covering a variety of art forms designed to enrich your teaching toolkit.

Why Attend?

  • Engaging Workshops: Tailored sessions to bring arts integration and spark creativity in your classroom.
  • Exclusive Perks: Enjoy a complimentary breakfast, discounted parking, and Kennedy Center swag.
  • VIP Experience: Stay for an exclusive tour of the Kennedy Center and enter our raffle for a chance to win free tickets to a show!

These events will take place in person at the Kennedy Center.

Sat., Oct. 26, 2024, 9:00-11:00 a.m. ET

$10

Sat., Feb. 22, 2025, 9:00-11:00 a.m. ET

$10

Arts & Special Education Webinars

  • Universal Design for Learning in the Arts: A Framework for Inclusion

    Presented by Ryan Hourigan, Ph.D.

    Universal Design for Learning has been an instructional framework for many years. Developed by the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) in Boston, Massachusetts, this approach could not be more relevant in the twenty-first century. As we teach in the post-COVID 19 world, arts educators will be required to design their curriculum to appeal to many learning differences. Universal Design for Learning provides a research-based approach to tackling these challenges in a systematic way. The three main pillars of UDL (engagement, representation, and action and expression) provide curriculum and instruction strategies to include all students regardless of learning challenges. This workshop will show how the arts can enhance universal design in the classroom.

    This is a live, recorded one-session webinar taking place on Zoom. If you are unable to attend the live webinar or need to leave early, a recording and a copy of the transcript will be sent one week after the live session to those who register. This webinar will have live captioning and ASL interpretation.

    Wed., Sep. 25, 2024 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET 

    $10

  • Using Improv Theater Games to Strengthen Academic and Social-Emotional Skills for Students with Disabilities

    Presented by Jim Ansaldo

    This interactive and participatory webinar will engage you in learning flexible, practical, and effective improv theater games that strengthen academic and social-emotional skills for students with disabilities. The session is geared toward general and special educators, speech-language pathologists, school psychologists and social workers, community-based arts educators, and anyone else interested in learning to use improv methods in classroom and clinical settings. Participants will gain access to a free online “starter pack” of improv games that includes instructions for playing the games and facilitation tips.

    This is a live, recorded one-session webinar taking place on Zoom. If you are unable to attend the live webinar or need to leave early, a recording and a copy of the transcript will be sent one week after the live session to those who register. This webinar will have live captioning and ASL interpretation.

    Wed., Oct. 23, 2024 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET 

    $10

  • Choice-Based Art Education: Engaging K-5th Grade Students in the Art Classroom

    Presented by Alida Anderson, Ph.D.

    Choice-based art education (CBAE) provides support for art educators to design and implement authentic instruction centered on student choice and voice. In this webinar, participants will learn how CBAE, Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB), and discipline-based art education (DBAE) fit within national core arts standards. These approaches will be compared across dimensions of classroom set up, roles, resources, assessment, engagement, accessibility, and equity in the art classroom. Findings from a pilot study of an art teacher’s implementation of CBAE in their inclusive K-5th grade art classes will be presented, highlighting benefits of CBAE to the students and to the elementary school. Participants will receive a how-to resource guide for creating and implementing CBAE in K-5 art classroom settings.

    This is a live, recorded one-session webinar taking place on Zoom. If you are unable to attend the live webinar or need to leave early, a recording and a copy of the transcript will be sent one week after the live session to those who register. This webinar will have live captioning and ASL interpretation.

    Wed., Nov. 13, 2024 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET 

    $10

  • Diversity in Neurodiversity: Access and Inclusion in the Arts

    Presented by Dr. Roger Ideishi

    This session is an overview of the grounding concepts for reflecting on neurodiverse accessible and inclusive arts. A brief overview of self-regulation, sensory and cognitive processing, and relational dynamics grounds participants in exploratory and discovery processes rather than a checklist approach. Guiding principles and examples of potential engagement methods using a person-environment-activity analysis approach will be discussed.

    This is a live, recorded one-session webinar taking place on Zoom. If you are unable to attend the live webinar or need to leave early, a recording and a copy of the transcript will be sent one week after the live session to those who register. This webinar will have live captioning and ASL interpretation.

    Wed., Dec. 11, 2024 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET 

    $10

  • Variations and Translations: Building Access-Centered Theatre Games

    Presented by Talleri McRae

    This session will invite participants to explore theatre games (and the teaching strategies behind them) in ways that support students with and without disabilities. After introducing a shared vocabulary for access and inclusion, the majority of the session will be a demonstration of familiar theatre games that apply, adapt, experiment, and play with a game or activity's component parts; for example: Pace, Processing Time, Sensory Input/Output and more. Participants will leave with several practical ideas, including many variations of arts strategies/games for a variety of students—disabled and nondisabled.

    This is a live, recorded one-session webinar taking place on Zoom. If you are unable to attend the live webinar or need to leave early, a recording and a copy of the transcript will be sent one week after the live session to those who register. This webinar will have live captioning and ASL interpretation.

    Wed., Jan. 24, 2025 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET 

    $10

  • Collaborate to Create: Supporting Youth with Disabilities in Developing Collaboration, Problem-Solving, & Art Skills by Simulating the Music Album Production Process

    Presented by SchoolTalk: Sarah Grime, Elijah Lee, Konshens the MC, Xavier Wood

    This webinar will focus on supporting youth with disabilities in developing collaboration, problem-solving, and technical arts skills by simulating the music album production process. Facilitators will provide examples from SchoolTalk’s Collaborate to Create Project and will share the coaching model used to implement studio sessions, which provides students with a safe space to share their skills, develop additional skills, and experience what it’s like to engage in collaborative, project-based work with youth artists and coaches representing a range of mediums. Participants will have the opportunity to enjoy the multi-media album produced by 30 talented DC youth, featuring their original spoken word, instrumentals, videography, photography, visual art, digital art, and merchandise. Facilitators will share tips for creating safe spaces for self-expression and tips for integrating work-based learning experiences in creative careers. Facilitators will include teaching artists/coaches, SchoolTalk staff, and a youth participant/guest coach.

    This is a live, recorded one-session webinar taking place on Zoom. If you are unable to attend the live webinar or need to leave early, a recording and a copy of the transcript will be sent one week after the live session to those who register. This webinar will have live captioning and ASL interpretation.

    Wed., Mar. 26, 2025 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET 

    $10

  • Curricular Renovations

    Presented by Mikaela Bachmann

    Leverage the arts to challenge outdated views of disability and create a more inclusive curriculum. This webinar will teach you a three-step process—survey, demolish, and remodel—mirroring home renovation, to develop accessible pedagogy that values disability. In the survey phase, we'll cover the history of disability, special education, disability theory, and the intersection of art and disability. In demolition, we'll unlearn ingrained biases, and in remodeling, we'll redesign our pedagogy with principles of Universal Design, inclusion, access, allyship, and advocacy. Leave with practical strategies and the ability to continually adapt your teaching to accommodate diverse student needs.

    This is a live, recorded one-session webinar taking place on Zoom. If you are unable to attend the live webinar or need to leave early, a recording and a copy of the transcript will be sent one week after the live session to those who register. This webinar will have live captioning and ASL interpretation.

    Wed., Apr. 09, 2025 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET 

    $10

CETA Professional Learning Workshops 2024-25 School Year

CETA_Banner.jpgAll workshops are held virtually unless otherwise indicated, and the times listed are in Eastern Time (ET). Space in these workshops is limited. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

"Taking the courses has changed my teaching style so significantly that the arts are likely to be found in my teaching of any subject area, at least once a day, every day of the week."

 

"The high caliber of teaching artists rejuvenates teachers like me who have been performing in the classroom for almost 20 years."

 

"Through the years I have met many teachers at the Kennedy Center from other school districts. It is always wonderful to share new ideas, discuss common issues, and compare notes."

 

"Over the last ten years, my teaching has changed dramatically (no pun intended) due to my intensive study at the Kennedy Center. Because of the courses and workshops, my instructional practice has changed and student learning has improved."

Programs for Individual Teachers

Each year, more than 400 teachers from school districts in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia participate in professional learning opportunities at the Kennedy Center. Teachers develop their own program of study by selecting professional learning workshops/courses that meet their needs and interests. Attendance records show a full range of teacher participation—from single-session to intensive study. Teachers may earn graduate credit through local universities or credit through their school districts for their study.

Key Features of the CETA Program for Individual Teachers
  • Flexible Program Design
  • Triple Focus on
  • Raise Levels of Confidence and Comfort
  • Model Classroom Practice and Encourage Teachers to Reflect on their Teaching
  • Involve Teachers Actively
  • Carefully Planned and Specifically Focused
  • Quality of Instructors
  • Teacher Recognition
  • Program Impact: Ongoing Evaluation

Learn more about Key Features

In addition, professional learning experiences are designed specifically for teachers in two school districts: the District of Columbia Public Schools and Arlington Public Schools, Virginia.

District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS)

Professional learning for teachers is offered through two programs: the Kennedy Center's Community Partnerships program, and the .

Partnerships

Partnerships with Arlington Public Schools and Prince George’s County Public Schools provide opportunities for teachers to attend professional development workshops free of charge.

"DCPS is very fortunate to have access to the various education programs offered by the Kennedy Center. Teachers can attend workshops to learn about the arts and arts integration, students can attend a wide range of performances, and teaching artists provide in-depth learning experiences through residencies in classrooms."

Director of Music, DCPS

"Arlington Public Schools is gratified to be partnering with the Kennedy Center to provide professional learning opportunities to our teachers and make the arts integral to education. The workshops and courses offered are first-rate, and they give our teachers invaluable tools and models for incorporating the arts into other curricular areas."

Coordinator, Humanities Project, Arlington Public Schools

Programs for School Administrators

Recognizing the key role school administrators play in teachers' professional learning and the inclusion of arts education programs in schools, the Kennedy Center has established and co-chairs two groups of local administrators: THE PRINCIPALS' ARTS EDUCATION FORUM and THE COUNCIL OF METROPOLITAN ARTS SUPERVISORS. Each group meets four times each year at the Kennedy Center to address issues related to the improvement of education, specifically education in the arts. In addition, members serve in an advisory capacity to the Kennedy Center Education Department and provide important information about the critical education issues affecting the schools and advice concerning professional learning needs.

Principals' Arts Education Forum

Established in 1995, the Principals' Arts Education Forum includes more than 200 members—principals and assistant principals—who are concerned about improving arts education programs in their schools. Convened at the Kennedy Center four times a year, the meetings provide information about such topics as arts advocacy, current research in arts education, arts integration, and ways to strengthen school arts programs. In addition, each year a principal hosts a site visit to his/her school to showcase their arts education programs.

Council of Metropolitan Arts Supervisors

Established by the Kennedy Center in 1981, the Council of Metropolitan Arts Supervisors is comprised of arts instructional supervisors from 16 school districts in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The Council provides a valuable forum for and support of arts in the schools. Meeting topics have included assessment in the arts, advocacy, the changing role of the arts supervisor, research in arts education, and innovative arts programs in schools. In addition, the Council and the Kennedy Center annually co-sponsor a workshop for arts specialists.

"The Principals Arts Education Forum keeps me informed of the latest research on arts education, provides an opportunity to network with colleagues from around the region, and reinforces my belief in the power of the arts for learning. I leave each meeting energized and optimistic about the future of education.

 

The Principals' Forum is one professional opportunity I never miss! I always leave the sessions with ideas to share with my staff or new programs to ponder. I have benefited from opportunities to network with other principals. Not only do we learn about the arts resources in the area, but we also have site visits to schools to observe model programs in action."

Principal

"The connections I've made through participating in the Council are far reaching, allowing me access to other school districts resources, so that none of us has to re-invent the wheel. The collaborative feel, and the sharing of ideas across school districts, creates an atmosphere of giving and support. We all work together to meet the challenges we are facing.

 

The Council of Metropolitan Arts Supervisors is an excellent resource. At the meetings, I hear about the latest research in arts education and ways administrators throughout the DC metro area are successfully implementing best practices in their school districts."

Council Member

Programs for Kennedy Center Teaching Artists

The Kennedy Center's workshops and courses for teachers are led by teaching artists from across the country. These teaching artists are noted for their extensive knowledge of their art form, its connections to the curriculum, and experience teaching their art form to students and teachers.

èßäAVinvites teaching artists to apply to the program. Once accepted, the Kennedy Center provides professional learning experiences for teaching artists about leading effective professional development workshops for teachers.

Becoming a Kennedy Center Teaching Artist

Orientation

To work effectively in the program, the teaching artists must understand the program's goals and objectives as well as expectations for their work. Toward this end, teaching artists who will lead their first workshop for teachers at the Kennedy Center participate in an Orientation where they are introduced to the program, learn about how they will collaborate on the development of their workshop with a Kennedy Center staff member, and create an effective resource packet for teachers who attend their workshops.

"I left the Orientation feeling empowered with a lot of useful information about the Kennedy Center's program and ways to further develop my own workshop. I also feel assured of strong support from the staff as I continue to refine my workshop.

 

The Orientation helped me learn several things: to select a manageable number of learning activities for my workshop for teachers; to budget time within the workshop; to create a structure for the workshop that enables teachers to take in and digest the most important parts; and to focus my arts technique, making it more accessible and satisfying for the teachers."

New Workshop Leader

"There is a sense among the teaching artists that if you miss a Retreat, you miss vital new developments that support your work with the schools.

 

èßäAVpushes us to expect more of ourselves, to grapple with new education initiatives, to be leaders and thinkers, and to provide schools with teaching artists who can communicate and address existing needs.

 

The Retreat is a source of many things for the Teaching Artists, but for me they all add up to renewal. We get information and participate in experiences that profoundly affect our teaching."

Kennedy Center Teaching Artist

Examples of Arts-Integrated Teaching and Learning

Example 1: Integrating Dance and Science

Third grade students explore concepts and vocabulary shared by dance and science—energy, patterns, and cycles —to learn about dance and the relationship between the sun and Earth. They apply their understanding by creating a dance and then reflect on their experience. This lesson was 5 sessions (45-60 minutes each).

Ms. Carney's 3rd grade students from Bailey's Elementary School, Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia
Slide show by: Melanie Layne
Music Credit: Alpha by Vangelis

Example 2: Integrating the Arts and Social Studies

Fourth grade students read and discuss information about abolitionists and process and demonstrate their understanding by creating a tableau. They analyze slavery themes in visual art, express their reactions by writing poetic scripts, and finally synthesize their understandings into a short theatrical performance. They end with a reflection about their experience. This lesson was 3 sessions (45-60 minutes each).

Ms. Lowe's 4th grade students from Bailey's Elementary School, Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia
Slide show by: Melanie Layne
Music Credit: Legends of the Fall by James Horner

Example 3: Integrating the Arts and Reading

After Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport was read aloud to the students, they summarized the major events of the text to express their understanding of how Martin Luther King, Jr. worked to defend equal rights for all people. They created a tableau (frozen picture) for each major event, and then connected the events together to create a "Tableau Slide Show." This lesson was one hour (including the reading of the book).

Kara Conques's 3rd grade students from Bailey's Elementary School, Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia
Video created by: Melanie Layne
Inspired by Kennedy Center Teaching Artists Sean Layne and Rosalind Flynn
Music Credit: We Shall Overcome (The O'Neill Brothers)

Resources for Purchase

Recognizing that many sites appreciate professional learning video/DVD resources, two Kennedy Center workshops are available:

  1. Living Pictures: A Theatrical Technique for Learning Across the Curriculum
  2. Words Alive!: Building Vocabulary and Stimulating Writing

Each workshop includes:

  • Video/DVD
  • Guide for Teachers
  • Facilitator's Guide (for administrators who choose to facilitate the workshop at their site)
  • In addition, a Web site supports and extends the Living Pictures video/DVD workshop.

Living Pictures: A Theatrical Technique for Learning Across the Curriculum

A Video Workshop for Teachers of Grades 2-6
Led by Sean Layne, professional actor and arts educator

The Living Pictures: A Theatrical Technique for Learning Across the Curriculum includes:

  • an 80-minute Video/DVD
  • a 46-page Guide for Teachers
  • a 23-page guide, Information for Video Workshop Facilitators*
    * available for staff development leaders

Ordering Information

Words Alive!: Building Vocabulary & Stimulating Writing

A Video Workshop for Teachers of Grades 3-12
Led by Dr. John C. Carr, Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland/College

The Words Alive!: Building Vocabulary and Stimulating Writing includes:

  • a 90-minute Video Workshop
  • a 48-page Guide for Teachers
  • 10-page guide, Information for Video Workshop Facilitator*
    * available for staff development leaders

Ordering Information

Related Resources

  • Article Arts Integration Resources

    This collection on arts integration draws from more than a decade of the Kennedy Center’s efforts to clarify arts integration principles and implement best practices.

    • STEAM
    • Arts Integration

  • Article Supporting Individual Needs

    This collection of resources and articles is designed to help educators devise an approach for supporting individual needs in the classroom: from English Language Learners or students with disabilities, to conflict resolution and giving feedback.

    • Accessibility
    • English Language Learners
    • Diversity & Inclusion

  • Article Parent/Caregiver Involvement

    This collection of articles provides tips on involving and engaging parents and caregivers in their students' arts education.

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Sponsors

 

Kennedy Center Education

 

The Vice President of Education is generously endowed by the

A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation.

Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Bank of America; Capital One; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Carnegie Corporation of New York; The Ednah Root Foundation; Harman Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The Kiplinger Foundation; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; The Markow Totevy Foundation; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives;

Prince Charitable Trusts; Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; Volkswagen Group of America; Jackie Washington; GRoW @ Annenberg and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family; Wells Fargo; and generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts..

The content of these programs may have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

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