#humanitiesed

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Recap of Membership Meeting: Gratitude Edition

Submitted by Chin Wai (Rosie) Wong, DC Collaborative Membership & Social Media Communications Intern

June 30, 2021

Meeting Resources:

Meeting Notes 

Meeting Recording - In case you missed it! 

Meeting Powerpoint

DCPS Arts Website

GENESIS Virtual Campus 

DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Website

American Alliance for Theatre Education Website 

DC Collaborative Community Glossary

Creative Spark Registration

July Membership Newsletter Submission

August Membership Newsletter Submission

Meeting Summary:

On Tuesday, June 22, the DC Collaborative held a virtual Gratitude Meeting for members, staff, board members, and the committees to share updates and gratitude for the collaboration. The meeting began with an opening message from DC Collaborative Executive Director Lissa Rosenthal-Yoffe. Participants received updates from DCPS Arts, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Education Programming, Steering Committee, Equity & Justice Subcommittee, Assessment & Evaluation Subcommittee, and the DC Co-Lab. Subsequently, the updates were followed by a meeting adjournment in which Lissa expressed her gratitude for all the effort of the board, committees, staff, and members, and shared her vision of a better-informed arts and humanities education of practice in the following year. Before the meeting came to an end, participants engaged in a networking session where they shared the highlights of their work this year.

DCPS Arts Updates:

DCPS Arts Director Mary Lambert expressed her gratitude for collaborative members who have helped make arts activities possible for students in the 2020-2021 academic year. One highlight that reflects the success of arts and humanities is the virtual reality GENESIS x Hirshhorn Museum, which showcases over 1,000 pieces of art submitted by students. The design of the museum is inspired by the nature and urban scenes in DC, and participants are able to enjoy their visit through an immersive 3D experience. This project has brought together students’ diverse voices as well as the unique views of DC. Mary also shared their 2021-22 plan, which includes in-person and virtual learning, before- and after-school programs, ESSER funds to support school reopening, current guidelines for the fall, students in grades 3-12 having 1:1 devices, class schedules back to normal, and new clearance requirements. External field trips will be planned accordingly after more research of covid exposure, vaccination, and transportation is conducted throughout the summer and when teachers feel more comfortable in physical space. Moving forward, DCPS Arts stands by CDC guidelines and continues to strive for providing safe and rewarding learning experiences for students. 

As a part of the District of Columbia Public Schools, Office of Teaching and Learning, DCPS Arts works closely with all teachers, staff, and principals in the area of visual art, music, and performing art programs within the DC Public Schools. 

For more information, please contact Mary Lambert at [email protected] or visit their website at https://www.artsdcps.com. 

DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Updates: 

Experienced in arts administration with a passion for education, Alorie Clark has served the nonprofit arts sector for more than ten years. In today’s Membership Meeting: Gratitude Edition at DC Collaborative, she noted grant applications designed to support organizations and individual practitioners in arts and humanities education, and the American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE) National Conference. 

For more detailed information, please contact Alorie Clark at [email protected].

For DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities upcoming events, please visit: https://dcarts.dc.gov. 

For 2021 AATE National Conference registration and more about AATE, please visit: https://www.aate.com/2021.

Education Programming Updates:

The Education Programming team at DC Collaborative shared their achievement in the past academic year. First, the School Partnerships Manager Ashlee McKinnon thanked students, schools, and teachers for collaborating with DC Collaborative, supporting our programs, and sharing the same value as arts education providers by prioritizing students’ development and keeping arts and humanities education alive.

The Education Programs Manager at DC Collaborative Tres McMichael summarized the statistics of AHFES and celebrated the successful collaboration with consistent providers who made innovative programs and workshops possible for our students all over the District. AHFES recognizes the importance of working collaboratively and will continue to do so in the pursuit of reaching a national and international level. 

The Evaluation and Engagement Manager BoBeen Chung and School Partnerships Manager Ashlee McKinnon presented AHFES achievement through its assessment survey from teachers and students. The testimonials are valuable in strengthening the relationship among the DC Collaborative, teachers, and students, and supporting our strategic planning for future collaborations. 

For more information, please contact:

Ashlee McKinnon at [email protected]

Tres McMichael at [email protected]

BoBeen Chung at [email protected]

Steering Committee Updates: 

Deputy Director Tracey Wyton introduced the goals in the 2021 fiscal year at DC Collaborative. First, defining the community is crucial for working collectively, so we are developing this Glossary designed to have our staff, members, and committees on the same page. Moreover, we aim to articulate overarching questions to help reflect on our effort and share our best practices with other organizations. In addition, The DC Co-Lab is designed to put our data together and we are excited to invite you to participate in this strategic planning process. 

For more information, please contact Tracey Wyton at [email protected]

Equity & Justice Subcommittee Updates:

Co-chair Michelle Hoffmann and Jeanette McCune noted the prioritization of students’ and organizations’ needs by refreshing and reframing our work in accordance with social justice events. Our next step is to recognize how the pandemic has impacted people’s life experiences, to continue creating conversations in the community, and to create a new norm in this recovery stage while practicing JDEIA -- justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

If you are interested in joining the Equity & Justice Subcommittee, please contact:

Michelle Hoffmann at [email protected] 

Jeanette McCune at [email protected]

Assessment & Evaluation Subcommittee Updates:

Assessment & Evaluation Subcommittee Co-Chair Addie Gayoso, James Mitaritonna, and Wendy Wang Pisa emphasized fostering a collaborative environment by introducing meeting agreements, establishing a collective vision shared by the committee, gathering and sharing ideas to assist in our assessment, as well as taking advantage of DC Co-Lab to enhance community engagement, data collection, and analysis.

If you are interested in the Assessment & Evaluation Subcommittee, please contact:

Wendy Wong Pisa at [email protected] 

Adrienne (Addie) Gayoso at [email protected]

James Mitaritonna at [email protected]

DC Co-Lab Introduction:

Community Partnerships Manager Wendy Wang Pisa introduced the DC Co-Lab platform designed to enhance engagement plans for DC Collaborative. It allows for data collection, data visualization, as well as better strategic planning for collaborative work. An example of the data visualization of the year 2019-20 is presented as follows. 

If you have any questions, please contact Wendy Wang Pisa at [email protected]

Networking Highlights:

When asked about the highlights of their work this year, participants shared the best practices in their organizations, which we can all reflect on and practice as we move forward. The strategies include conducting surveys of program participants, practicing flexibility and creativity in our work, being open-minded in trying new things, seeking silver linings, and bringing the genuine and honest self into work. 

You Are Invited!

Celebrate the Creative Spark to help develop the creative capacity of children and youth in the district. The registration period for educators was June 14 - June 25, but the deadline has been extended. Matched programs will be scheduled between July 12 - August 6. Link to registration:  https://dccollaborative.org/content/creative-spark

Please contact our Special Projects Consultant Kai Alexis at [email protected] for questions.

Stay Connected

In spite of the off-season for school, DC Collaborative communication continues throughout the summer. Please stay in touch with us and submit the content and news that you would like to share with the community in the upcoming newsletters.

For July membership newsletter submission: https://forms.gle/Yg7VPtdi8JjXB4B58

For August membership newsletter submission: https://forms.gle/ZkQ3avBhbfmHxWmC9

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DC Collaborative ZoomChat Digest

Submitted by: Kelsey Schultz, DC Collaborative Membership and Collective Impact Intern April 3 2020

Greetings friends!

In response to COVID-19, the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative is providing our community updates and opportunity to engage with their fellow community members through DC Collaborative Daily ZoomChats!  To keep the community in the loop we will be posting the recordings from each meeting, detailed notes, and these ZoomChat Digest’s every Friday.

We at the DC Collaborative would like to thank all those who have been joining us for our daily ZoomChats or supporting from afar. We are so happy to see the arts and humanities education community come together during this difficult time and support one another and our efforts to ensure that, despite this national emergency, we are continuing our mission of providing equitable access to arts and humanities education for all. 

Our ZoomChats have been amazingly informative and inspiring. This post contains the highlights from our meetings so far.

Meeting Resources/Helpful Links

DC Collaborative Distance Learning Resource Database

DC Collaborative COVID-19 Updates and Resources Website

DC Collaborative Daily ZoomChat Schedule

DC Collaborative E-List Signup

Daily ZoomChat Archive

DCPS Distance Learning Portal, CANVAS

Project Create Distance Learning Resources

Project Create YouTube content

COVID-19 Toolkit- Created by 20Degrees Shared by Maureen Dwyer

#KeepMaking Art - Campaign by Creative Generation

DC Collaborative March E-News

Equity

Throughout our discussions so far, equity has been an overwhelming topic of concern as we adapt to the effects of COVID-19. How do we get resources and arts education supplies to students? How do we reach students who have limited to no access to technology? How do we collectively provide Distance Learning opportunities for students with special needs? Here are some possible solutions we came up with:

Food Distribution Centers – Throughout our conversations we had discussed providing the various food distribution centers that are serving families and students with packets and potentially art supplies. We have yet to put this idea into action.

Radio/TV Outreach – There have been various corporations such as Verizon and Comcast that are making accommodations in these trying times. Also, local TV and radio stations such as WPFW 89.3 FM Uncle Devin’s WEE Nation Radio, Channel 4 with William Draper, and some cable channels are partnering to get information and educational content to families and their students.

Live Classrooms & Instagram Live – Some organizations have taken to Zoom, YouTube, and other formats to teach either live or recorded content. For example, Project Create has posted 15 lessons on YouTube showcasing 15 different art forms and various artists have been going live on Instagram. If you know of any events or live sessions please let us know so we can get the word out!  

Distance Learning

One of the things we as arts and humanities educators and organizations have been working tirelessly on is Distance Learning material. But what does that material look like? How do we make material prevalent and useful to teachers and their curriculum? What is the best way to make content without over-working and using excessive screen time? Here is what we discussed:

Organizational Leadership and Community Programming in a time of Social Distancing. Special Guests Maureen Dwyer, Loretta Thompson and Megan Short from Sitar Arts Center and Christie Walser and Dania Fawaz from Project Create joined us on Thursday, April 2nd, to share their organizations’ experience and resources as they pivoted from COVID-19. Maureen shared a link to a COVID-19 Toolkit created by 20Degrees. Christie shared a remote work policy guide and Distance Learning dilvery guide (for their teaching artists) created by her team as well as their YouTube content created by their Teaching Artists. 

DC Collaborative Distance Learning Resource Database The DC Collaborative’s Distance Learning Resource Database is a HUGE success! First of all thanks to every organization who has sent in content. Your commitment to equity within the arts and humanities education is inspiring! Thanks to Google Analytics, we are able to track the traffic on our website. On average, we have about 400 users visit the website daily, we have resources for all grades in every medium, and the resources come in a variety of formats including downloadable and videos. Click here to submit your content or check it out today! 

Educator Distance Learning Needs Assessment – The DC Collaborative sent out a survey to teachers asking what distance learning content would be most helpful to their classroom. Results said the highest content need is for students with special needs. The other top five answers were as follows: 1) Online or Printable Lesson Plan/ Study Guide, 2) Filmed Virtual Museum/Historic Home Tour, 3) Filmed Performing Arts Activity/ Performance, 4) Online Interactive Professional Development, 5) Distance Learning Live Classroom Lesson. Content in the areas of Arts and English/Literature were the most requested.

DC Collaborative State of Arts and Humanities Education “Town Hall” Community Conversation with David Markey & Mary Lambert. 

The past two Mondays we have had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Mary Lambert from DCPS and David Markey from the DC Commission for updates on the effects COVID-19. David gave information on the status of CAH existing grants, stating that the grants already distributed are safe. He is also curious about finding a way to measure the direct student impact from the distance learning resources being provided. Mary spoke about the learning packets being distributed to students and the arts content which is located in the very back of said packets. She also spoke on the different “Town Halls” her staff has been having with teachers and parents to discuss the students’ workload and learning status. To view the full State of the Arts “Town Halls” on 3/23 and 3/30 with David and Mary click here. David and Mary will continue to join us every Monday!

Katy Weatherly, James Mitaritonna, Lindsey Vance of the DCPS Arts Team lead participants in an overview if the DCPS Distance Learning Portal, CANVAS. View the ZoomChat recording here.

 #KeepMakingArt

On Tuesday, March 31, we heard from Jeff Poulin of Creative Generation who shared the #KeepMakingArt campaign with participants. Creative Generation launched the #KeepMakingArt campaign in response to COVID-19. Now a global movement has begun to spark joy, inspire action, and bring togetherness. View the campaign website to participate.

E-Lists and ZoomChat Scheduling

Want some more detailed information about the DC Collaborative’s ZoomChat meetings? This is the section for you!

Sign up for an E-List Today! Right now, more than ever we live in a world ruled by technology and people’s emails are piling up. After hearing your concerns, we have created Listservs so that we can limit and personalize the reminder emails heading your way! Click here to sign up today!

Check out our upcoming ZoomChat schedule here. To keep our ZoomChats timely and useful we have decided to guide each conversation with a theme. Mondays we will be speaking to David Markey from the DC Commission and Mary Lambert from DCPS, Tuesdays is an Open Forum, Wednesdays are for Teaching Artists and Practitioners, Thursdays are for Community of Practice, and Fridays are all about equity. Sign in and join!

Things to Come

These past three weeks have been extremely challenging and draining on the whole arts and humanities education community. But by connecting with one another and looking to the future we can become more united and support one another. So, we continue to converse, brainstorm, support, and plan. Here are some things to look forward to in our upcoming ZoomChats:

Lead a ZoomChat! Do you have experience or information you want to share with your fellow arts and humanities community? Sign up to lead one of the Daily ZoomChats today! Click here to fill out the form.

Parent and Educator Town Halls – Coming up we are looking to have two very exciting ZoomChat community forums; one for parents and one for teachers to connect and share. Keep an eye out for more information to share with any teacher or family close to you!

Enhanced Security– We are looking to protect your privacy. In order to prevent another hacking of our ZoomChats like the one that happened on Monday 3/30, we have upped the security of our meetings. We have created a ZoomChat waiting room so that only the people accepted by the host may attend log on. We are also looking into alternate platforms other than Zoom so if you have any suggestions we would love to hear them!

Follow us on Social Media! Email not your thing? No fear you can still stay connected and up to date with the Collaborative without overloading your inbox. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @dccollaborative. 

To view the full notes and recordings from all the meetings click here. 

Once again we’d like to thank everyone for all their support and hard work. The Collaborative would be nothing without the dedication of our whole DC arts and humanities education community. We do this all in service of you and our DC community. 

Come join in our next 11am ZoomChat: https://zoom.us/j/8531648236. We’d love to hear from you! If you have any questions feel free to email Kelsey at [email protected].

Gratitude

The C Collaborative team is inspired by how the arts and humanities education community of practice is continuing to provide equitable access to the arts and humanities, even during a time of social distancing! We are particularly thankful for those who have co-lead these chats at a time when we are busier than ever. A special shout out to all of our Guest hosts:

Maureen Dwyer, Sitar Arts Center

Dania Fawaz, Project Create

Our very own- Clarissa Heartsfield, DC Collaborative School Partnerships Manager and AGC DC Equity Committee POC

Mary Lambert, DCPS Arts,

James Mitaritonna, DCPS Arts

David Markey DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities,

Jeff Poulin, Creative Generation #KeepMakingArt

Megan Short, Sitar Arts Center

Loretta Thompson, Sitar Arts Center

Lindsey Vance, DCPS Arts

Christie Walser, Project Create

Katy Weatherly, DCPS Arts

A special thanks to Lissa Rosenthal-Yoffe for leading these daily conversations!

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Center City PCS Explore “The Forensics of Espionage” at the International Spy Musem

Submitted by: Renee Stinson, Communications Intern, DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative

January 27, 2020

On January 24, 2020, students from Center City Public Charter School visited the International Spy Museum for a special workshop: The Forensics of Espionage, presented by Lucy Stirn. The purpose of the workshop was to show students the logistics of investigation, as well as to allow them to simulate the investigation process themselves.

Students were guided through a case based on a real one that occurred during the Cold War in which the FBI had been infiltrated by a mole. In order to discover the mole’s identity, they examined shoeprints, analyzed fingerprints, and compared handwriting samples. They were also taught about electrostatic detection, and shown how an ESDA (electrostatic detection apparatus) works to discover hidden writing.

Lucy Stirn shows Community ONE students how an ESDA works.

After the workshop, students were allowed to tour the museum, and I was granted the opportunity to speak to Lucy about the program. The primary goal of workshops like this one is to encourage critical thinking and problem solving among children and teenagers, and the way that the pseudo-investigation was structured around open discussion was meant to facilitate this. Lucy stressed the importance of getting students to be more observant citizens in the world—especially in DC, where the exchange of intelligence is everywhere. 

Students discover a hidden message within a cipher.

Lucy hopes to continue to improve the program moving forward, as she believes that there is always room for any good educator to improve. To this end, for example, the museum will soon be adding a chromatography section. In addition, she wants more people to be aware of the opportunities that the museum offers to students. Even though it is not a Smithsonian Institution, the DCPS allows schools to coordinate field trips with the museum so that students can experience it for free. In turn, the DC Collaborative will continue its efforts to bring visibility to this opportunity, as it is one that would be a shame to miss—especially since instructors and students have expressed in the past that this is one of the most exciting field trips they’ve taken. As someone who got to see it all for myself, I can’t help but agree.

On behalf of the DC Collaborative, many thanks to Lucy and the rest of the education staff at the International Spy Museum for creating such a dynamic and intriguing learning opportunity for students and teachers alike.

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Recap: State of Arts and Humanities Education Roundtable

Submitted by: Kara Hess,  DC Collaborative Programming Intern Wednesday, November 4, 2019

Resources

Watch the Roundtable

View written testimonies from the DC Collaborative Staff

Testimony Helpful Hints from the DC Collaborative

Send us your testimony! Send your testimony to [email protected] to feature your testimonies in future posts.

Roundtable Recap

On October 30th, 2019, and on the occasion of DC Collaborative’s 22nd anniversary, more than 40 teachers, students, and community members from across the DC Arts and Humanities community met to testify on the state of arts and humanities education in our schools. Across the span of 4 ½ hours, person after person spoke on the importance of equitable access to arts and humanities education in school, out of school and farts and humanities experiential learning (field trips) opportunities for all students. The roundtable also discussed potential areas for improvement and gaps in access.

Students from Friendship Public Charter School: Woodridge Campus opened the roundtable event with a chorus performance

The day started off on a high note- a whole chorus of them actually- with student performances, from Friendship Public Charter School: Woodridge Campus and KIPP DC Public Charter School: College Preparatory Academy, demonstrating the talent of our local schools. Immediately following their musical performances, we heard straight from the students themselves about how transformative music, theater, and the arts have been in their lives. These students and their teachers brought up the need for schools to have more arts faculty, as well as the need to offer more diverse arts programming. Many of the 8th grade students testifying mentioned how they would love to attend Duke Ellington School of the Arts because of their artistic excellence. Students shared that due to factors such as distance from home, grade requirements and competition, many may need to go to different high schools with arts programs that are not as substantial as the Duke Ellington experience. The students spoke about how they wish every high school had a musical theater program which they could be a part of. 

The roundtable discussion also heard dozens of testimonies from leaders in the arts and humanities community, including many DC Collaborative members. This was a timely discussion for the Collaborative, who also happened to be celebrating their 22nd birthday as an organization. Specific requests for funding were made during DC Collaborative testimonies for DC Council to provide dedicated funding for the Collaborative’s long-standing support for arts and humanities experiential education, as well as an increase in support for the Commission’s Field Trip Experiences Grant, and expanded support for Any Given Child DC. 

Public testimonies opened with Rhona Wolfe Friedman, Ward 2 Commissioner for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and Chair of the DC Arts Education Policy Taskforce. Following testimony about the importance of DC's Arts Education Policy through the 2017 Sense of Council Resolution, leadership of the DC Collaborative provided testimony about the importance of the work of the entire DC arts and humanities education community of practice, and the work of the DC Collaborative and its leadership of the Any Given Child DC collective impact initiative. The work of Any Given Child DC was highlighted throughout the testimonies and included important updates on capacity building activities and the establishment of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion statement adopted by any Given Child DC and the DC Collaborative board and membership.

DC Collaborative staff members demonstrated the need for dedicated and increased funding from the CAH and the need for public investment in data visualization it leads to benefit all arts and humanities education stakeholders. 

DC Collaborative Asks of DC Council Committee on Education:

Supplementary information regarding these asks are in the Testimony Helpful Hints from the DC Collaborative google doc.

Request for Dedicated Funding for Arts and Humanities Experiential Education and community stakeholder backbone support through restored and increased dedicated support to the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative

Expand Funding to the DC Commission District Arts and Humanities Initiative- Field Trip Experiences Grant from $1 million to $2 million dollars

Full time Arts Teachers in All Public Schools

Expanded Support for Any Given Child DC, including:

$250,000 investment for Data Visualization Platform for the entire arts and humanities community to provide a full of all arts and humanities education opportunities in school, out of school and after school

Support in on-going biannual DCPS Arts Data Collection and Social-Emotional Learning Shared Measurements

Additional Highlights

Highlights from the varied testimonies also included testimony from DC Collaborative Co-president Barbara Stauffer representing the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History who shared the exciting contributions that the Smithsonians are now piloting to eventually provide DCPS Cornerstone connected experiences to all DC Public School students at every Smithsonian unit. Logistics and assessment for current pilot and future initiative are co-produced by the DC Collaborative.

Other highlights included a spoken-word poem written by a 15-year-old DCPS student who participates in the DC Scores program (a popular initiative which combines soccer and poetry), read by Charity Blackwell. Another exceptional testimony came from an alum of the Sitar Arts Center, Tokunbo Adedeinde. Mr. Adedeinde, a graduate of the DCPS school system, spoke about his own arts education experiences with glowing appreciation for how much Sitar and the arts educational programming he was provided had truly changed his life. We also heard compelling testimonies and stories from many of our members including Washington Performing Arts, Ford’s Theatre, The Phillips Collection, Imagination Stage, Sitar Arts Center and Inner City Inner Child, along with DC Collaborative Co-president Linda Harper, and board members Terry Thomas, and Kent Withycombe, among others. There was even a student teacher reunion with one of Terry Thomas’ (Seaton ES, DCPS) former students performing and testifying!

DCPS provided government testimony and answered questions from Councilmember Grosso. We know that this was the beginning of more important community conversations and advocacy efforts needed this year.

A huge thanks to everyone who was able to attend and testify, as well as those who submitted written statements outlining their support and needs of DC’s arts and humanities education community. Thank you also to the DC Council Committee on Education and Councilmember David Grosso for holding this important discussion so that we are all able to share with DC Council and work together to continuously improve arts and humanities education opportunities for our students here in the nation’s capital. You may view the complete Roundtable hearing here.

Students from schools in DCPS area came to support and testify at the round table, showing their passion for arts in their lives

Next Steps

If you were unable to attend the roundtable last Wednesday, but would like to contribute, DC Council is still accepting written testimonies! Your words and your story are important. Written statements should be submitted to Ashley Strange, Committee Assistant, via email at [email protected], or via post to the Committee on Education, Council of the District of Columbia, Suite 116 of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004. The record will close at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 13, 2019.

Stay tuned for more opportunities to work collaborative with us to share with DC Council and the Mayor’s Office the strength of our arts and humanities education community and the opportunity gaps that we can work on together through even greater public/private partnership.

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Speed Dating Event:

Submitted by: Jake Hahn, DC Collaborative Programs and Communications Intern Friday, November 1, 2019

During the event, members  had the opportunity to walk around and ask specific questions about curriculum objectives at the different schools.

On October 15, 2019, D.C. Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative held a speed dating workshop for local curriculum teams and members to come together for an opportunity to learn from one another and collaborate. The event, hosted by Shakespeare Theatre Company, kicked off with short presentations given by representatives from the local schools , allowing them to give a brief description of their curricular methodologies and objectives. After the presentations, members were given a chance to rotate through conversations with the curriculum representatives  and ask questions in short “speed dating” style sessions.

Presentation Descriptions:

DCPS Secondary English Language Arts- 

The secondary ELA curriculum presentation laid out a brief overview of  the curriculum for both middle school and high school students. For middle school, the focus is understanding the qualities that make a hero in a community. High schools focus on studying the skills necessary to become a leader, weather that be in a workplace or in a classroom.Their high school experience culminates in the creation of action plans to take on projects of interest in their communities.

Abby Welsheimer from the DCPS Secondary ELA team shares about the gaps in community partnerships in various units across the curriculum.

DCPS Early Childhood Education -

The Early Childhood Education division of DCPS builds curriculum for early learners to public schools that house PreK programs. In addition to fostering a positive environment for the students to learn and grow in, they emphasize the need to provide activities promoting early literacy skills in young learners.

Members took notes on the curriculum shared by Robin Jones from the DCPS Early Childhood Education team.

Carlos Rosario PCS-

Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School provides high quality education for adults, primarily from D.C. immigrant communities. Their school draws students from all education backgrounds, and some having successful careers in the arts and other industries in their home countries. Carlos Rosario strives to offer them the credentials and experience they need to succeed here, in the new country they call home.

A representative from Carlos Roasio Public Charter School shares about the diverse cultural backgrounds and life experiences their adult students bring to the school.

Friendship Schools -

Friendship PCS strives to give students the option of all arts disciplines at their schools. With a standardized programming outline, they hold classes that range from studio art to theatrical. Friendship Public Charter Schools now houses an arts magnet school, Friendship Armstrong, replacing the former City Arts and Prep school.

Teriauna Duran from Friendship Public Charter Schools shares about some of the robust arts programs that her school supports.

Capital City Public Charter School -

Capital City Public Charter School enables a diverse group of students to meet high expectations, develop creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Each grade level is exposed to the arts through various themes (social justice, immigration, etc.)

Joanna Lewton from Capital City Public Charter shares her school’s approach to arts integration.

DCPS Arts -

Mary Lambert (Director of Arts) and Katy Weatherly (Manager, Music) of DCPS gave a visual of the framework for the development of students with the arts. As well as, introducing multiple different programs that they would like to bring to classrooms.

Mary Lambert and Katy Weatherly from DCPS Arts share about their hopes for more expanded arts programs in all disciplines.

The full presentation can be viewed here. Please contact the Collaborative if you have questions about connecting to the presenters or suggestions of future topics for our “Speed Dating” events. 

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Teaching Artist Institute: “Children at the Center”

Tuesday, August 27th to Wednesday, August 28th at the National Building Museum, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities hosted a Teaching Artist Institute with co-hosts from the National Building Museum along with the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative. There were 59 DC-based teaching artists who participated in a variety of sessions and workshops that were facilitated by 31 moderators, panelists, and staff volunteers. The “Children at the Center” Teaching Artist Institute focused on providing the opportunity for teaching artists to build skills and understanding in their field of teaching artistry.

TAI Resources: 

Informational Flyer

Session Descriptions

Schedules at a glance

Day One

Day Two

Personal Bio Descriptions of Facilitators, Moderators, and Panelists

Tuesday, August 27th Agenda

1:30pm - Registration & Welcome

2:15pm - Keynote Panel: Children at the Center

3:30pm - Coffee Break

4:00pm - Workshop Breakout Sessions 

5:30pm - Break - Journey to Shakespeare Theatre Company

6:00pm - Teaching Artist and Practitioner Speed Dating Networking Reception: Importance of Collective Impact, Hosted by DC Collaborative’s Any Given Child DC program and Shakespeare Theatre Company

Wednesday, August 28th Agenda

9:30am - Breakfast

10:00am - Keynote Panel: Program Design

11:15am - Morning Workshop Breakout Sessions

12:45pm - Lunch - Pecha Kucha Presentations

2:00pm - Afternoon Workshop Breakout Sessions

3:45pm - Keynote Panel: Assessment & Evaluation

4:45pm - Closure

Highlights: Tuesday, August 27th

Keynote Panel: Children at the Center

The TAI began with a Keynote Panel. The panel was titled “Children at the Center: Addressing the Full Humanity of Each Student.” Panelists shared how they addressed the needs of the individual students they serve and how they broadly shape their programming around the unique needs of the communities in which they work. The Panel was moderated by Erika Hawthorne from Arts Education Partnership/Education Commission of the States featuring panelists Mary Brown (Life Pieces to Masterpieces), Kahina Haynes (Dance Institute of Washington), Tara Libert (Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop), and Christie Walser (Project Create). 

Workshop A

Workshop A was facilitated by Jessica Valoris. Valoris is a DC-based multi-disciplinary artist who is a proud alum and Assistant Director of The Atlas Performing Arts Center’s City at Peace DC. The workshop was titled “Finding My Center: Devising Wellness in Community” and was targeted for teaching artists of teens and adults. This workshop focused on exploring holistic wellness practices that educators, artists, and young people can share to support one another.

Workshop B

Workshop B was facilitated by Lauren Wilson. Wilson oversees the Community Engagement team at the National Building Museum, which includes programming for teen and intergenerational audiences. Wilson’s workshop was titled “Co-Creating and Collaborating with Teens” which was directly targeted for teaching artists of teenagers. This workshop discussed strategies for sharing leadership and creativity with teens tailored to each participant’s individual work and practice. 

Workshop C

Workshop C was facilitated by Lindsey Vance. Vance is an artist, art therapist, licensed professional counselor, and educator. Vance’s workshop was titled “The Joy of Making Art: Intuitive Collage & Meaning Making” and was suitable for teaching artists of all ages. This session provided an understanding of the therapeutic power of visual arts through intuitive intelligence, experimentation, and narrative. 

Collective Impact: Speed Dating

The DC Collaborative and Any Given Child DC held a Collective Impact Speed Dating workshop for teaching artists! Participants listened to why they should be involved in the Collective Impact Any Given Child DC work and interacted with their peer practitioners. Thank you to our host, Shakespeare Theatre Company!

Highlights: Wednesday, August 28th

Keynote Panel: Program Design

Wednesday morning began with a Program Design panel titled “Positioning Everyone for Success.” The panel was moderated by David Markey who currently oversees arts education programming for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Panelists included Kristen Anclien (Bridges PCS), Michelle Edwards (Live It Learn It), Peter Guttmacher (Consultant), and Mary Lambert (DCPS). This panel discussed important considerations to keep in mind in the design of in-school and out-of-school-time residencies. 

Workshop D

Workshop D was facilitated by Nikki Kaplan. Kaplan is the Associate Director of Education at Imagination Stage. Kaplan’s workshop was titled “Game Exchange! Tools of the Trade” and was suitable for teaching artists of all ages. In this workshop, participants exchanged classroom games, exercises, warm-ups, and technique/skill-building activities to add to their tool-kits. 

Workshop E

Workshop E was facilitated by nationally recognized master teaching artist Margot Greenlee. Greenlee’s workshop was titled “Dance and Theater Practice for Children of All Ages and Abilities” and was suitable for teaching artists of all ages. Participants learned collaborative methods that invite each child’s contribution, with special attention to supporting children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Workshop F

Workshop F was facilitated by teaching artists Sylvia Zwi and Marcia Daft. Zwi holds the position of Dean and Director of Early Childhood Arts & Professional Development at Sitar Arts Center. Daft is the founder of Moving Through Math and Teaching the Music of Language. This workshop was titled “Spiral Up (It’s in the “How”)” and was targeted at teaching artists of early-elementary but was applicable to all ages. Participants were introduced to seeds of movement and music ideas to provoke a student-generated response in semi-improvisational processes. 

Workshop G

Workshop G was facilitated by teaching artist Imani Gonzalez. Gonzalez’s workshop was titled “Telling Your Story through the Blues” and was targeted for teaching artists of Grades 4-8. Participants explored the strategies that are aligned with Writer’s Workshop to engage in the composition blues songs that express thoughts, feelings, experiences, and then performed them. 

Workshop H

Workshop H was facilitated by Regie Cabico. Cabico is a poet and a spoken word pioneer having been the first openly queer and Asian American writer to win the Nuyorican Poets Cafe Grand Slam. Cabico’s workshop was titled “I’M BRAVE AS A MIGHTY OCEAN: INTRODUCTION TO SPOKEN WORD SLAM POETRY” and was designed for teaching artists of 6th grade and up, but could be modified for elementary school. Participants examined strategies to help students write through imagery and break down the components of slam poetry by demystifying the elements of a great slam poem through writing that addresses poetic devices. 

Workshop I

Workshop I was facilitated by professional teaching artist Karen O. Brown. Brown’s workshop was titled “Tricks Up Your Sleeve - for Every Teaching Artist” and was targeted for teachers of Pre-K 3 to High School. Teaching artists learned simple and effective techniques and processes to use with students. This included making handmade book structures (pictured above) and ways to use a variety of artistic expression to share strategies. 

Keynote Panel: Assessment and Evaluation

The Teaching Artist Institute closed with a final Keynote Panel discussing Assessment and Evaluation titled “What is Quality? Really?”. This panel was moderated by Kevin Cataldo who is the Manager of the Institute for Youth Development part of the Office of Out of School Time Grants and Youth Outcomes as well as Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education. Panelists included Karen Brown, Regie Cabico, and Imani Gonzalez. This panel discussed the role that teaching artists play in the process of evaluating the quality and impact of programming and how can assessment be used for good.  

Gratitude

At the Teaching Artist Institute: Children at the Center, attendees were not only able to gain experience and methods to bring back to their classroom but also learned strategies to better themselves as teaching artists. At this two-day event, the wide range of workshops, panels, facilitators, moderators, and panelists provided a variety of artistic fields for teaching artists to explore. 

The DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative would like to thank the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the National Building Museum, Shakespeare Theatre Company, and all of our facilitators, moderators, panelists, and volunteers for making this Teaching Artist Institute as successful as it was. We hope to continue to host more institutes for teaching artists in the future! 

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Professional Development Institute for Educators, “Unpacking a Safe Space”

Submitted by: Jake Hahn, DC Collaborative Programs and Communications Intern Tuesday, October 1, 2019

On Saturday September 21, 2019, teachers from DC public and public charter schools gathered at Friendship Collegiate Academy for a Professional Development Institute (PDI): Unpacking a Safe Space hosted by the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities and the DC Collaborative. This year the topic focused on trauma informed learning and creating a safe space in the classroom. With the multiple workshops available by grade-band, teachers had the chance to engage in activities that challenged them to step out of their comfort zones and get comfortable with their peers in interesting and fun ways.

PDI Resources:

Schedule at a Glance

Facilitator Bios

Session Descriptions

Agenda

9:00 a.m. — Light Breakfast and Registration

9:30 a.m. — Welcome, Opening Activity

10:30 a.m. — Morning Workshop Breakout Sessions

12:05 p.m. — Lunch

1:10 p.m. — Afternoon Workshop Breakout Sessions

2:45 p.m. — Group Activity

3:10 p.m. — Next Steps, Surveys, Raffles and Certificates

Highlights

David Markey, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities opened the PDI with a short speech emphasizing the importance of the arts and humanities in public school systems, as well as, in the lives of the younger generations. 

Lissa Rosenthal-Yoffe and a Friendship PCS student volunteer co-led an impromptu step-dance demonstration with participants.

Jessica Valoris led a morning group session on what wellness is, and how to embody wellness in a classroom. During the session, Jessica led educators into multiple different activities; giving teachers tools to support mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being

Jared Shamberger of Young Playwrights’ Theater led a trauma-informed care session for 3rd-5th grade educators entitled Seeing the Student.

Lindsey Vance and Marla McLean led a group of Kindergarden-2nd grade educators on how to develop strategies using art, materials, and spaces to develop trauma-sensitive practices in classroom settings.   

Reggie Cabico leading a group of 6th-12th grade educators using improvisation and mirrored movements. During this session, educators shared their memories in “story nuggets” and shared their personal stories with each other. 

Lindsey Vance and ACE Fellow Mary Jo McCoy led a group session on how to use creative expression in the classroom to cultivate an emotionally safe environment. The workshop addressed many essential questions including: What does it mean to feel safe? What are the key qualities of a trauma-informed classroom? 

A full listing of the sessions can be found here.

Gratitude

With the main focus being on the well-being of the teacher and student, many of the workshops allowed teachers to open up about issues they have faced with their peers and students. Lessons focused around the sensitive minds of the youth and how to create a comfortable atmosphere and personal connection between teacher and student. 

Thank you to all the presenters and teachers for joining us for another successful PD Institute. To register for more PD events, please check out our website.

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Recap: Connecting to Curriculum with DCPS Social Studies

Submitted by: DC Collaborative Team June 6, 2018

On May 29, Scott Abbot and Donna Phillips of DC Public Schools Central Office Social Studies presented a Connecting to Curriculum Workshop with DC Collaborative Members to discuss their curricular priorities for the coming year and how members can best connect to the social studies curriculum and partner with central office. 

Meeting Resources

Agenda

PowerPoint

Meeting Handouts

Feedback Survey

Contact DCPS Social Studies! Scott Abbott- [email protected], Donna Phillips- [email protected]

Meeting Summary

The DCPS Social Studies team wants to partner with arts and humanities organizations in the DC region! They discussed ways for partner organizations to support the instructional approach of DC Public Schools Social Studies.

The Social Studies team presentation objectives:

What is the instructional approach for social studies in DCPS?

How can partners support DCPS curriculum, professional development and student experiences?

How can partners work most effectively with DCPS?

The social studies team discussed that inquiry was at the heart of the curriculum and shared that they used the C3 Framework for Social Studies Standards: “Evaluating Sources & Using Evidence,” “Communicating Conclusions & Taking Informed Action,” “Applying Disciplinary Tools & Concepts,” and “Developing Questions & Planning Inquiries.” They believe that there is most opportunity for arts/humanities organizations to connect with the “Applying Disciplinary Tools & Concepts,” though connections can be made to each category.

Elementary Curriculum

The DCPS Social Studies Central Office team has had a busy year. In addition to updating the 6-12th grade curriculum, Scott and Donna announced that they completed elementary Social Studies curriculum this year! They mentioned that they will be doing a lot of professional development for the elementary grades to ensure that there is additional support in implementing the curriculum. DCPS Social studies may need assistance from community arts/humanities organizations.

Next Steps

After Scott and Donna went through the broader curriculum, participants divided into groups and reviewed specific curriculum samples (see the handouts). In order for organizations to connect programs to specific curriculum, standards and scope and sequence documents, contact Scott and Donna directly.

Contact Scott Abbott ([email protected]) and Donna Phillips ([email protected]) with programming information to see where your program can connect.

Take the Feedback survey if you’ve attended the event!

Thank you!

Thank you to our wonderful host, Art Museum of the Americas- Organization of American States.