News Topics Index
Learn more about research findings, investments and initiatives related to the role of arts learning in schools and communities. Scan Links & Threads news items arranged below by topic. You also can look back over previous news items in reverse chronological order.
Arts Learning Research
—Analysis of NEA Survey Shows Steep Decline in Arts Education Opportunities
\After releasing its 2008 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA), the National Endowment for the Arts commissioned teams of researchers to analyze the survey data further. University of Chicago researchers Nick Rabkin and E.C. Hedberg found a decline in the proportion of 18-year-olds who had arts education as children. This decline, they also learned, is most severe among low-income and African American and Hispanic students and is due largely to reductions in in-school arts education. Just 26 percent of African-Americans surveyed in 2008 reported receiving any arts education in childhood, a significant decrease from the 51 percent in 1982. Rabkin and Hedberg's report, Arts Education in America: What the Declines Mean for Arts Participation, asserts that "any serious strategy for mitigating or reversing the decline of arts participation must consider the role that childhood arts education can play in rebuilding and restructuring audiences." They recommend "more fine-grained research . . . to identify the kinds of arts education experiences that are most likely to inspire students to pursue further or deeper engagements with the arts into adulthood." The report was released in February 2011. Download the report or watch a webinar about the report featured on the Arts Education Partnership website.
—Researcher Shares Findings on Effects of NCLB
According to a study sponsored by the National Art Education Foundation, visual arts educators believe that the No Child Left Behind Act (Elementary and Secondary Education Act, 2002) has affected their teaching and classrooms in both positive and negative ways. F. Robert Sabol, Ph.D., professor of visual and performing arts at Purdue's Division of Art and Design, surveyed members of the National Art Education Association. Most of the 3,412 respondents were K-12 visual arts educators. When asked to identify benefits, respondents most frequently cited improved credibility of art education (11%) and improved curriculum (10%). Findings suggest that respondents have increased their focus on meeting state and national standards, revising curriculum and improving assessment practices. However, 67% felt that NCLB did not improve their students' learning because it narrowed their interest in learning and exploring a broad range of content.
In response to the report, the Arts Education Partnership recommended further research to investigate differences across grade levels, closer monitoring of the ESEA reauthorization and more professional development in the area of curriculum integration.
—Arts Education Well-Represented among i3 Grantees
Three programs with arts learning at the center won Development Grants from the US Department of Education's Investing in Innovation (I3) program. That is a good showing for the arts since the USDE's peer reviewers selected only 49 applications out of more than 1600 submitted. Development grants are for innovative new ideas that show promise.
- Arts Achieve in New York City will introduce technology into arts classroom practice to facilitate art creation, documentation, research, feedback, reflection, collaboration and file-sharing within and beyond the schools.
- Everyday Art for Special Education, also in New York City, will provide professional development in skills and strategies for integrating multiple arts disciplines (music, dance, visual arts and theater) into classroom instruction.
- The The Beaverton (Oregon) School District Arts for Learning Lessons Project integrates standards-focused, text-based content and arts strategies to improve students' achievement in literacy, learning and life skills.
All three programs are based on strong partnerships between schools and arts organizations. Each has a strong research component.
—AEP Creating 21st Century Research and Policy Agenda
The Arts Education Partnership (AEP) is developing an Arts Education and 21st Century Learning Research and Policy Agenda. The purpose of the effort is to 'help build and refine the body of knowledge of the role of arts and creativity in the learning that all people need to succeed in a highly complex, technological and multicultural world." The agenda will be published in 2010. (April 2009)
—Neuroscientists Seek Causal Links Between Arts and Cognition
Cognitive neuroscientists from seven universities, organized by the Dana Foundation, just released a report of their deliberations on possible causal relationships between arts training and the ability of the brain to learn in other cognitive domains. Learning, Arts and the Brain reports several studies that lay the groundwork for establishing causal relationships between arts learning and development of skills in math, reading and other areas. Link to the report. (April 2008)
—NCES Improving School Arts Data
Longitudinal data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) will play a key role in assessing the state of arts education in coming years. NCES is using suggestions from the arts education research community and practitioners about how to make data less ambiguous and more aligned to important research questions.
Link to NCES. (October 2007)
—Arts Cited in Definition of Learning Success
The Commission on the Whole Child, convened by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), has issued The Learning Compact Redefined. The work of leading thinkers, researchers and practitioners from a variety of sectors, the report describes a successful learner as "knowledgeable, emotionally and physically healthy, civically inspired, engaged in the arts, prepared for work and economic self-sufficiency and ready for the world beyond formal schooling."
Go to ASCD to download the report. (June 2007)
— AEP Reports on Professional Development Partnerships
A report from the Higher Education Task Force of the Arts Education Partnership recommends that higher education leaders "take responsibility for the creation of partnerships within the university between education and arts and sciences faculty and outside the university with the larger arts and education community."
Working Partnerships: Professional Development of the Arts Teaching Workforce identifies promising partnership practices, profiles successful partnerships and presents a list of action steps.
To download the report, go to the Arts Education Partnership Web site. Select "Resources" then "Research." The report is listed with other useful publications. (June 2007)
—Neuroscientists Find Another Music-Language Link
A Northwestern University study published in the April 2007 issue of Nature Neuroscience provides concrete evidence that playing a musical instrument significantly enhances the brain stem's sensitivity to speech sounds. This finding applies to sound encoding skills involved not only in music but also in language. "Increasing music experience appears to benefit all children-whether musically exceptional or not-in a wide range of learning activities," says Nina Kraus, director of Northwestern's Auditory Neuroscience Lab and senior author of the peer-reviewed article. (June 2007)
— Arts Education Partnership to Host Forum in Cleveland
Cleveland will be the site for a national forum on how arts integration has gained momentum as a viable strategy for improving student achievement in schools and communities.
Hosted by the Arts Education Partnership, the forum will be held September 27-28, 2007. Dr. Gail Burnaford will present her recent work conducted for AEP entitled, Arts Integration Frameworks, Research and Practice: A Literature Review. Plenary and breakout sessions will explore different facets of arts integration. Projects in urban sites funded by the Ford Foundation also will be featured. (June 2007)
—NASAA Publishes Critical Evidence for Arts Education
A good tool for school leaders who are arts education advocates is Critical Evidence: How the Arts Benefit Student Achievement, a report issued by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies in collaboration with the Arts Education Partnership. Using research as its basis, the report makes a concise but compelling case for viewing the arts as a core subject and integrating the arts with other subject areas. The report can be downloaded free from the NASAA Web site. (March 2006)
—SPECTRA+® Publishes Data
Dr. Richard Luftig, a professor of Educational Psychology at Miami University in Ohio, has completed a U.S. Department of Education-funded three-year study of SPECTRA+®, a whole school arts in education program offered by the Fitton Center in Hamilton. Data indicate that, in general, SPECTRA+® students in the Hamilton City School District, in comparison to two sets of control groups, performed better on standardized tests in reading and math and generally scored higher on inventories of self esteem and creativity and arts appreciation. (October 2005)
—ICARE Linked to Achievement
The Center for Arts Education Research, Columbia University, has released its evaluation of ICARE (Initiative for Cultural Arts in Education) in the Cleveland Municipal Schools. According to the report: "the more exposure a child had with ICARE, the more likely it is that they had higher test scores" on the fourth grade Ohio Proficiency Tests. (April 2005)
—SPECTRA+® Recognized
Americans for the Arts recently featured the SPECTRA+® program in Hamilton as an example of powerful arts learning and integration. Read the story at www.artsusa.org. (November 2004)
Public Value of the Arts
—NEA Art Works Explores Arts and Human Development at Recent Convening
The National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently convened researchers and program directors of arts and learning initiatives to discuss the topic "Arts and Human Development: Learning Across the Lifespan." Arnold Aprill, founding and creative director of the Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE) and one of the presenters, said in an NEA Art Works blog post that the convening "expanded our collective thinking about what we mean by health, what we mean by services and what we mean by the concept of lifelong learning."
—Celebrate National Poetry Month
National Poetry Month is a month-long, national celebration of poetry established by the Academy of American Poets. The concept is to widen the attention of individuals and the media—to the art of poetry, to living poets, to our complex poetic heritage and to poetry books and journals of wide aesthetic range and concern. The academy's website offers suggestions for activities and other poetry resources. The Poetry Out Loud and Scholastic websites also provide ideas.
—Governor Proclaims Arts in Education Week
Governor Ted Strickland declared the week of September 12-18 "Arts in Education Week." His official proclamation reads in part:
"The study of dance, music, theatre, media arts, design and visual arts is an essential element of a complete and balanced education for all students. Arts education can enable students to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will give them the kind of creative and competitive edge they need to succeed in today's economy. Study of the arts can provide students with the communication skills, knowledge, determination and cross-cultural understanding necessary for success in the global information age." Download the Governor's proclamation.
—The Future of Arts Education: Two Important Speeches
The Arts Education Partnership called its April Forum in Washington DC "States of Change: New Leadership in Arts and Education." Speeches by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman lived up to that title.
Duncan asked arts education leaders to "help build the national case for the importance of a well-rounded curriculum—not just in the arts but in the humanities writ large." One way his Administration is supporting a well-rounded curriculum is "defining quality and demonstrating outcomes" through standards and assessments in the arts. Landesman challenged the arts education community to show leadership in bringing needed changes to today's learning systems. "Rather than just fighting for a place at the table," he asked, "what if we actually helped build an entirely new table?" Read a transcript of Duncan's speech. Read a transcript of Landesman's speech. (September 2010)
—Arts Learning Thread Visible in Ohio's STEM Conference
Schools in the Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN) and their partners in higher education, business and community development kicked off "STEM Education Month in Ohio" at the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus on March 2. Attendees heard about many exciting developments in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. Governor Strickland announced that partnerships of school districts and colleges of education in Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus have been selected as host sites for the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship program, which aims to transform teacher education and address shortages of math and science teachers in high-need urban and rural areas. Dane Linn of the National Governor's Association and other national speakers asserted that Ohio's approach to STEM education is unique and certain to play a major role in shaping the national STEM education agenda.
Those who have suggested changing the acronym "STEM" to "STEAM" (with the "A" signifying "Arts") heard and saw much that is encouraging. While "STEM" remains the official designation for this inquiry- and experience-based approach to education, several panel members, including State Superintendent Deborah Delisle, Chancellor Eric Fingerhut and Ohio Business Roundtable President Richard Stoff, mentioned the importance of arts learning in developing creative thinkers. Much evidence of aesthetics and design principles could be found in the work exhibited by students at the STEM schools. One student, when asked about the relevance of a display of visual artworks by students at the Metro Early College High School in Columbus, said many learners at her school communicate what they know through art. "Sometimes it's a more fun way to learn," she said. (March 2010)
—New Arts Education Advocacy Project Launched in Ohio
The Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, the Greater Cincinnati Television Educational Foundation (CET) and Ohio Citizens for the Arts have launched "Speak Up! For the Arts," an arts advocacy toolkit for parents and teachers that helps them make a case for the importance of arts learning. The toolkit includes a DVD with two videos. The first is "Speak Up! For the Arts, which features teachers, parents, administrators and artists talking about the impact the arts have on learning and the need to support arts education. The other is "Advocate for the Arts," which provides practical advice about how to meet with state and local representatives to advocate for arts learning. The DVD is available for free for a limited time. Available through the Web site are PDF files to help you with talking points, advocacy strategies, needs analysis in your school district and awareness about the latest arts education research. Contact CET if you have questions. (March 2010)
—Americans for the Arts Releases National Arts Index
In January, Americans for the Arts released the National Arts Index, the first study designed to measure the health and vitality of the arts industries in the United States using 76 national-level research indicators produced by the federal government and private research organizations.
According to the report, "a growing percentage of college-bound high school seniors are getting four years of arts and music, even as other national studies point to a decline in arts education. College arts degrees conferred annually have increased from 75,000 to 120,000 in the past decade." Personal artmaking and the number of artists, arts organizations and arts-related jobs also increased, the report says, but the overall index fell 4 points in 2008 to a score of 98.4, reflecting losses in charitable giving and declining attendance at larger cultural institutions.
The 1999 score of 105.5 is the highest achieved since the index was initiated in 1997. (March 2010)
—AEP Plans Forum on Arts and 21st Century Learning
The Arts Education Partnership plans its next forum for October 2-3, 2009 in Cambridge, MA. The event will be a lively exploration of the connections and synchronicities between the arts and 21st century learning. In particular, the gathering will focus on the ways creativity and innovation and other principles of 21st century learning are incorporated, articulated and supported throughout the education system from pre-K to higher education. (June 2009)
Note: The forum was a success. Read the Forum proceedings
—OAC Executive Director, Toledo Business Leader Outline Arts Benefits for Legislators
Julie Henahan, executive director of the Ohio Arts Council, testified in March before the Ohio House House Finance and Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education in support of the OAC's proposed budget for FY2010 and 2011. Her remarks outlined how the arts enrich individual and community life, expand economic opportunities, contribute to the "innovation environment" and aid the development of imagination and creativity in children. In describing the vision of the OAC, she said, "We have one end in sight—a state that is educationally, culturally and economically healthy and a good place to live for citizens from all walks of life and in all corners of the state."
The interdependencies suggested by that vision were supported by the remarks of Thomas Brady, Ph.D., CEO and founder of Plastic Technologies, Inc. He also is a member of the Governor's Third Frontier Advisory Board and a member of Ohio Citizens for the Arts. Testifying alongside Henahan, Brady told legislators that Ohio's investment in OAC programs produces "civic benefits that are widespread and significant—job retention and creation, economic development, improved educational outcomes for young people, stabilized downtowns, preservation of the state's arts infrastructure and support for disadvantaged and underserved populations."
Brady presented results from Ohio's Arts: A Foundation of Innovation, Creativity and Economic Strength, a study conducted by the Center for Regional Development (CRD) at Bowling Green State University. According to the study, the creative industries—museums and collections, the performing arts, the visual arts and photography, film, radio and television, design, publishing, schools and services—contribute more than $25 billion to Ohio's economy, support 231,200 jobs and generate $1.06 billion in tax revenues every year.
Limited time prevented Brady and Henahan from expressing the economic, civic and educational impact of the arts fully, but the OAC Web site features a section called "Making the Case," which presents its budget talking points, the CRD report cited above and one-page stories from communities around the state in a series called "The Arts: Part of the Solution." To find the information at the OAC Web site, go to the menu bar and select "About OAC," then "Making the Case." (June 2009)
—NGA Report Links Arts to Economic Development
Spring 2009. "A competitive edge and a creative edge go hand-in-hand to support economic prosperity," says a recent report from the National Governors Association (NGA). Arts and Economy: Using Arts and Culture to Stimulate State Economic Development describes the role of the arts in creating jobs, attracting educated workers, aiding community development and promoting tourism. The report outlines strategies for assessing a state's cultural assets and incorporating the arts into statewide planning. (April 2009)
—Ohio STEM Learning Network Advocates Arts Learning
Spring 2009. The arts continue to be part of Ohio's conversation about inspiring advanced study in science, technology, engineering and math and developing future innovators. The Ohio STEM Learning Network's Web site includes a page called "Inquiring Minds," which asserts that "it is important to recognize the important connection of STEM to arts and social sciences." This page pays tribute to Leonardo da Vinci—artist and scientist—and features ideas from Daniel Levitin, author of the recent book This is Your Brain on Music. (April 2009)
—NEA Study Links Arts with Community
According to a study released by the National Endowment for the Arts in November 2006, The Arts & Civic Engagement: Involved in Arts, Involved in Life, lower rates of arts participation by young adults may be linked to lower participation in civic life. Citing the 2002 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, the report suggests links between young people's declining participation in volunteer work and community-based leisure activities and declines in their literary reading, attendance at performing arts events and selection of classical and jazz radio.
From the NEA Web site, select "Research" then "Research Brochures" to download the report. (June 2007)
—Support for Your Arts Program
—OAC Web Site Lists Potential Funders for Your Arts Program
Looking for a small grant to help fund the activities of an arts or arts education program? The Ohio Arts Council's Web site is a good starting point. You can search over 100 opportunities by organization, funding priorities and key words, as well as see the levels of funding available through each organization. (April 2009)
—NASAA Publishes New Research-Based Arts Advocacy Tool Kit
The National Association of State Arts Administrators now offers a research-based Tool Kit to help arts advocates confirm, explain and clarify the role of arts education in three significant policy contexts. A working committee of State Arts Agency Arts Education Managers that included OAC Deputy Director Mary Campbell-Zopf and Arts Learning Director Jeff Hooper reviewed the research and provided sample materials that arts advocates can adapt to their contexts and needs. Link to Tool Kit or Read a full-length article from Links & Threads. (April 2008)
—Kennedy Center Offers Community Arts Education Audit
The Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education offers a free community audit tool to assist local education, community and cultural leaders in assessing the status of arts education in school districts. It can be used to evaluate programs or spark conversation and community planning in support of arts education. (October 2007)
—Links & Threads Hotlist Added
Links & Threads has moved all the Web links that have appeared in past issues to a single online location that can be accessed from the Arts Learning portion of the OAC Web site. Sites are categorized according to their major emphasis. Link to the list. (October 2007)
—OAC Update: Powerful New Planning Tool
Capturing ideas, refining decisions and conveying results are familiar challenges for anyone who plans new programs or projects. To meet those challenges with more efficiency and clarity, download the Ohio Arts Council's iTool. The iTool is the first piece of a comprehensive planning toolkit called Focusing the Light: The Art and Practice of Planning.
The seven-volume series, which includes a variety of planning information and tools, can be purchased through the OAC Web site. The Focusing the Light iTool provides planning teams with an easy and informative way to compile the pieces of a plan into a program logic model.
A program logic model is a graphical representation of a plan that clearly connects vision, mission, inputs, activities and outcomes. It can enhance all stages of the planning process, as well as the implementation and evaluation of the program, by helping teams align plan components and communicate the logic of their programs to constituents, funders and evaluators. A wizard, which explains each step, makes the iTool easy to use. Completed logic models can be printed or saved. To download iTool or purchase Focusing the Light, go to the OAC Web site. (March 2006)
.—ODE Update: New Standards-Based Arts Lessons
Are you an arts educator or curriculum specialist looking for instructional ideas that align with Ohio's fine arts standards? Be sure to explore the second set of 30 sample lessons that was recently posted on the ODE Web site in the Instructional Management System (IMS). There are seven new lessons in dance, six in drama/theater, ten in music and seven in visual arts. Go to ims.ode.state.oh.us to look for lessons.
The Ohio Department of Education thanks the outstanding team of arts educators and the committee of advisors who developed and reviewed the lessons over the past two years. To view their names, go to the ODE Web site and follow the Academic Content Standards link to the Arts. Lessons currently posted were field-tested by teachers from all four arts areas. (March 2006)
— Model Lessons Online
Good News! The first set of 38 model lessons across the areas of dance, drama/theatre, music and visual art is posted at the ODE Web site in the Instructional Management System (IMS). The IMS is accessed through the ODE Web site home page. In the IMS search box on the right side of the screen, educators are asked to choose a content area and a range of grades. The lesson plans can be downloaded and customized. They are clearly presented, detailed, and easy to use. Each includes assessment tools, teaching tips, suggestions for involving parents and suggested readings. Thirty exemplary arts teachers are continuing to write and edit lessons through December 2005. These educators represent all state regions, grade levels and arts disciplines-dance, drama/theatre, music and visual art. Get started. (October 2005)
—Ohio Students: Success Stories
—ODE Celebrates Arts Education Week by Featuring Two Student Success Stories
The Ohio Department of Education found a good way to mark Arts Education Week 2010 (September 12-18)—by highlighting the accomplishments of Brandi Chambers and Chelsea Grachek, two Career Tech students who are using their artistic talents in creative industries. Read the story (September 2010)
—See Ohio Governor's Youth Art Exhibit Winners
Images of work by this year's student artists who earned the Governor's Award for Excellence are now online at the Ohio Governor's Youth Art Exhibition Web site. (June 2009)
—Ohio Governor's Youth Art Exhibit Celebrates Excellence
This spring, 25 students will receive the Governor's Award for Excellence to honor their entries in the 39th annual Ohio Governor's Youth Art Exhibition. Their works will be among the 300 chosen from over 12,000 entries by high school students across the state. From April 19 to May 14, 2009, the selected artworks will be displayed at the James A. Rhodes State Office Tower with satellite exhibits in the Governor's office and the Ohio Department of Education. The exhibition is a cooperative effort between the Governor and the Ohio Department of Education, universities, colleges and corporate sponsors. (April 2009)
—Columbus Students Restore Mural
Visual art students at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center, Columbus City Schools, helped restore an original 1934 Emerson Burkhardt mural that once hung in Central High. Titled "Music," the mural was whitewashed when a principal felt its portrayal of people in evening dress singing, dancing and playing music was unsuitable. Students integrated study of the mural, conservation techniques and the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which funded the mural. (April 2005)
Ohio's Progress
—OAC Strategic Plan Addresses Questions Critical to All Ohioans
If you are interested in exploring those questions in depth—or in making a convincing case for the arts when interacting with those who haven't seen their power firsthand—the OAC's new strategic plan for 2011-2013, A New View, will help you think and engage.
The plan, available online, is based on two years of research and stakeholder conversations, including a statewide survey. Through that planning process, the OAC has identified an important role for the arts in creative economic development, job creation, business retention and community revitalization. Arts education contributes to those priorities by fueling the next generation of leaders with the creativity and innovation skills they need to succeed in the workforce of tomorrow. Whether you are an Ohio educator, parent, business person, policymaker, community leader or arts professional, the plan will help you understand the integral role of the arts and arts education in writing Ohio's next chapter, as well as inform you about Ohio's successful arts learning programs and cultural assets. If you are already an arts advocate, it will help you tell a compelling story, substantiated by research, of how arts learning and participation benefit all Ohioans.
The plan presents five goals:
- Protect Ohio's Quality of Life
- Connect Ohioans to Arts and Culture
- Help Citizens of all Ages Learn and Thrive Through the Arts
- Establish Arts and Culture as a Partner in Community, Regional and State Development
- Develop Leadership for Arts and Culture
Cultivating creativity and imagination in preK-12 education, ensuring arts learning opportunities for citizens of all ages and pursuing policy initiatives to strengthen arts education in schools are objectives for Goal #3.
The plan is available online. It includes information about how the arts and arts education benefit everyone, as well as examples and images of stellar arts programs in Ohio. Download the Strategic Plan.
—Ohio Arts Education Survey Providing Useful Info
In early 2011, the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, the Ohio Arts Council and the Ohio Department of Education will report the findings of the statewide 2010 Ohio Arts Education Survey. The survey, conducted by Quadrant Arts Education Research of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was distributed to all Ohio principals. The 22% response rate was a healthy sample size, according to a consultant to Quadrant.
A group of key education stakeholders will soon be studying the results and developing policy recommendations, which will be issued in a final report and disseminated via a dedicated website. (September 2010)
—Ohio Participates in NEA Education Leaders Institute
Ohio was one of five states selected to participate in the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) fifth annual Education Leaders Institute (ELI), held in Chicago, Illinois, on July 26-28, 2010.
Each year, ELI brings together policymakers, educators, advocates and others to discuss a shared arts education challenge and create strategies to strengthen state arts education policies. Ohio's guiding question was: "What is the message that clearly and convincingly articulates the link between arts education and the development of imagination in K-12 education, and how do we create networks to demonstrate the power of this link and spread the message throughout Ohio?"
The Institute combined presentations on media and learning with opportunities for each state team to work with a team coach to address its guiding question. Two speakers, Colleen Mackey and Rafael Burgos, challenged conventional notions of the division between work and play and set the stage for wide-ranging discussions by the state teams on the challenge of improving arts education. Mackey is a game designer who grew up in Upper Arlington, attended the Fort Hayes Arts and Academic High School in Columbus and is now the director of PETLAB at Parsons the New School for Design. Burgos is a young artist who designed costumes for James Cameron's "Avatar."
Over the course of the three-day Institute, Ohio shaped and refined its guiding question with support from its team coach Derek Gordon, formerly of the Kennedy Center and now of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The Ohio ELI team consisted of:
- Donna Collins, Ohio Alliance for Arts Education executive director
- Stephen Dyer, state representative
- Dr. Karen Clark-Keys, Arts Education manager, Cleveland Metropolitan School District
- Dr. Brian Edmiston, associate professor, The Ohio State University School of Teaching and Learning
- Jeff Hooper, OAC Arts Learning director
- Dr. Marilyn Troyer, deputy superintendent, Ohio Department of Education
The team is continuing to meet and build upon the ideas discussed in Chicago. (September 2010)
—Arts Education Survey Will Aid Analysis of Arts Learning in Ohio
The Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, Ohio Arts Council and Ohio Department of Education have joined together to create the 2010 Ohio Arts Education Survey to determine the status and condition of arts education at the school level. The Survey is open to all Ohio public school principals. The results will provide administrators, policy makers and community leaders with an analysis of arts education in Ohio.
"I strongly urge principals and their staffs to participate in this important initiative," said Deborah Delisle, Ohio's Superintendent of Public Instruction. "The arts play a significant role in our effort to develop the creative imagination of our students and foster curricular innovations across disciplines at every level of our educational system. This research with other strategies will help us chart a future course of action and guide us in building the public will to provide high quality arts learning experiences for all young people in our state."
Principals will receive a link specifically for their schools. The survey is designed to minimize the reporting burden on principals and teachers by eliminating duplication of data already being collected by the ODE. If at any time you have questions regarding the survey, please contact Donna Collins, Ohio Alliance for Arts Education at 614-224-1060. (March 2010)
—Ohio Welcomes NEA Arts Education Director
Dr. Sarah Cunningham, director of Arts Education for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), visited Ohio this spring. Hosted by the Ohio Department of Education's fine arts staff, she visited with Frances Strickland, First Lady of Ohio, met with State Superintendent Susan Tave Zelman and addressed a group of cultural and education leaders and school practitioners. Her timely presentation, "An Arts-Rich Future," complemented the current curricular emphasis on 21st century skills and highlighted technological and global challenges that create new opportunities for the arts in education.
Among her stops was a visit to the Southern Theatre, where she enjoyed a performance by the Jazz Arts Group with fourth- to sixth-graders from Miami View Elementary School. Cunningham's role is to provide national leadership in arts education. She shared information about new initiatives at the NEA. One exciting new effort is the Big Read, a program to revitalize literary reading in American culture.
The Big Read provides teaching guides for lessons that lead young readers through classic novels. Secondary teachers will appreciate the thematic focus, discussion questions, writing exercises and capstone projects that encourage students to explore each novel's key topics through various content areas, including the fine arts. To learn more about the Big Read and featured books and to access the teaching guides, visit www.neabigread.org. (January 2007)
—USDE Holds Roundtable with Ohio Arts Educators
As part of its Teacher-to-Teacher outreach initiative, the U.S. Department of Education held a September 27 roundtable discussion at the Ohio Arts Council with Ohio dance, drama/theatre, music and visual art educators. According to Doug Herbert, special assistant to the Secretary of Education, the discussion was a "listening opportunity," designed to help the USDE better serve the needs of arts educators.
"Arts educators shared views on education policy, their professional development needs and the challenges they face," says Nancy Pistone, visual art and dance consultant with the Ohio Department of Education. "It is good to know that the voices of Ohio arts educators have joined those of the nation's teachers in other academic disciplines for this important initiative." (October 2005)
— Evaluation Report Issued for NEA Summer Institute
An evaluation of the 2004 NEA Summer Institute for School Leaders reports that the Institute was implemented substantially as planned, that attendees were positive about their learning experiences and that school leaders in the participating districts are taking action. The evaluation provides a good picture of the increasing emphasis being placed on arts education by school leaders. Written by Dr. Michael Sikes, an education consultant, the full report and an executive summary are available on the OAC Web site. (October 2005)
— OAC Update: Ohio Explores Reading at Risk Findings
A National Endowment for the Arts report entitled Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America is the impetus for a statewide televised book club called "Volume and Verse." This ongoing project by the Ohio Arts Council, the Ohio Humanities Council, Ohio Government Television, the Ohio Department of Education, the State Library of Ohio, the Ohioana Library, Ohio's major metropolitan library systems and other organizations responds to the report's finding that both the literary reading and total book reading of U.S. citizens have declined significantly in the past twenty years.
In November 2004, the OAC assembled an advisory group of authors, K-12 educators, universities and for profit and not-for-profit literary and arts organizations throughout Ohio. After analyzing the report and exploring collective strategies to address Ohio's literary needs, the group designed the book club.
Scheduled for a Fall 2006 statewide launch, the initiative will include a television program, Web site, online book club forums and chats with authors and community events, as well as teaching materials. The initiative is expected to increase and broaden reading among Ohio citizens and to showcase authors and material relevant to Ohio. (October 2005)
—Ohio Receives NEA Funding for Professional Development
Through a $50,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ohio Department of Education will work in partnership with the Ohio Arts Council to provide sitebased professional development for arts ractitioners and school administrators. The focus will be on developing standards-based curriculum and assessments and forming strong partnerships with community leaders and artists. (April 2005)
—National Overture Program Comes to Ohio
Stark County and Columbus are Ohio's first pilot sites for National Overture of Education and the Arts, a multi-year program that highlights the power of the creative arts to help improve academic performance. The Institute for Education and the Arts, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., is working with ODE and OAC to help the two pilot sites establish advisory and working committees that will encourage participation in the Overture. To learn more, go to the Institute Web site. (November 2004)
—Leadership Voices: NEA Holds Summer Institute in Ohio
The arts can and should play an important and effective role in the results-oriented, accountability-driven arena of school improvement. That was the central statement when about 50 Ohio school leaders, as well as state and national policy makers and scholars, gathered this August. For two days, they pursued a stimulating, promising line of inquiry through presentations, breakout sessions, demonstrations and Q&A sessions. Dr. David O'Fallon, president of the MacPhail Center for Music in Minnesota, was the Institute facilitator. Learn More
Poetry Out Loud
—Shaker Heights Student Wins Ohio's 2011 Poetry Out Loud Competition
Spring 2011. Caira Lee, a junior at Shaker Heights High School, became Northeast Ohio's first and Ohio's sixth annual Poetry Out Loud state champion. Thirty-nine students competed in the competition after winning school championships. Read more.
—Dayton Student Wins Ohio's 2010 Poetry Out Loud Competition
Spring 2010. Lynsay Strahorn, a junior at Chaminade-Julienne High School in Dayton, won Ohio's fifth annual Poetry Out Loud state competition. Twenty-eight students competed in the competition after winning school championships. Read a two-part story about the journey.
—Upper Arlington Student Wins Ohio's Poetry Out Loud
Spring 2009. Ohio's fourth annual Poetry Out Loud state competition was held Saturday, March 14 at the Matesich Theatre at Ohio Dominican University. Judges selected Upper Arlington High School student Mido Aly to represent Ohio in the 2009 Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest to be held April 26-28, in Washington, D.C. Aly received $300 plus expenses for his trip to the finals. His school received a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books.
Leah Walkowski from Columbus Alternative High School placed second. Lynsay Strahorn from Chaminade-Julienne High School in Dayton placed third. In all, 27 students from around Ohio participated in the event. Poetry Out Loud was established by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. (April 2009)
—Dayton Student is 2008 Poetry Out Loud State Champion
Ohio's third annual Poetry Out Loud state competition was held Saturday, March 15 at Ohio Dominican University's Matesich Theatre. Rachel Chandler, a student from Dayton's Chaminade-Julienne High School, will represent Ohio in the national finals April 29, 2008, in Washington, D.C. She will be competing for a $20,000 scholarship.
Jasmin Cannon from Purcell Marian High School in Cincinnati placed second. Rebecca Butler from Timken Senior High School in Canton placed third. In all, 23 students from around Ohio participated in the event.
Poetry Out Loud is presented by The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation in partnership with the Ohio Arts Council. Poetry Out Loud encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition. The program seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by capitalizing on recent trends in poetry recitation and performance. Through Poetry Out Loud, students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage. Go to the Ohio Arts Council Web site to view a list of the 23 participants and to find future updates. The national Poetry Out Loud Web site includes information for teaching poetry recitation and an anthology of poems. (April 2008)
—South-Western Student Wins Poetry Out Loud 2007: Program to Go Statewide
As linebacker for the Westland High Cougars, Tony Jackson gave his family many thrills and proud moments—including competing in the state playoffs and earning a football scholarship from Ohio State University. But as Tony's dad watched him become Ohio's 2007 Poetry Out Loud champion, he turned to his son's teachers, John Weddendorf and Kerri Terman, and pronounced the feat "better than any football game."
"Unbelievable," is how Weddendorf describes taking the state poetry recitation championship back to his school in Galloway (South-Western City School District). "But while we loved the competition," says the English, speech and drama teacher, "what went on in the classroom was even more important."
Westland was one of seven high schools in Ohio's Capital region to participate in Poetry Out Loud, a nationwide poetry memorization and recitation competition sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. This year, the Ohio Arts Council is extending the program to allow all high schools in the state to participate. (June 2007)
Read the full article for more insights from Weddendorf.
—Ohio Student Wins Poetry Out Loud Nationals
With support from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Ohio students in the Capital region encountered poetry with a new depth last spring as they participated in Poetry Out Loud, a national poetry recitation competition sponsored by the NEA and the Poetry Foundation. Jackson Hille of Ohio, a senior at Columbus Alternative High School, was judged the winner on May 16 at the historic Lincoln Theater in Washington, D.C. Hille received a $20,000 scholarship. His journey started with his English teacher's suggestion that he participate in Poetry Out Loud for extra credit.
Jackson's ability to, as one Ohio judge describes it, "embody a poem" won him a spot in the state finals, held on April 29 at the Southern Theater in Columbus. Since his win in Washington, he has appeared on National Public Radio, visited with U.S. Representatives Deborah Pryce and Patrick J. Tiberi and received congratulations and autographed books from a number of poets, including Billy Collins and Molly Peacock. He starts this fall at Otterbein College in Ohio. For both the state and national competitions, students recited three poems from memory, adding whatever gestures, facial expressions, cadences, vocal techniques and other touches were needed to illuminate and interpret the poems they chose.
Ohio's second and third prizes went to Meredith Smith of Thomas Worthington High School and Robert Jones of Eastmoor Academy High School. Judges were David Hassler, poet, OAC Arts Learning artist and director of the Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University; Dionne Custer, educator for school programs at the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus; and Ann Townsend, poet and director of Denison University's creative writing program. (October 2006)
—Poetry Recitation Contest Launched
To encourage the nation's youth to learn about and recite great poetry, the NEA will award Ohio and other states with grants for conducting a competition called Poetry Out Loud. State-level activities begin in January 2006, and students will have the opportunity to be part of the national competition held in April. Watch the OAC Web site for details about the competition and about materials that will be available to participating teachers and students. (October 2005)
Ohio Schools: Success Stories
Two Northeast Ohio Schools Receive Awards
Cleveland School of the Arts was one of six schools to receive a Panasonic Corporation of North America School Change Award. The first Ohio school to win, CSA will receive cash and equipment and will become part of a major national research project. Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights received the Educational Theatre Association's Outstanding School Award, which is conferred each year on up to twelve schools whose work exemplifies and promotes high standards of quality in educational theatre. (June 2009)
—KnowledgeWorks Profiles Arts-Based Small High School
The KnowledgeWorks Foundation, based in Cincinnati, has released Every Student Deserves a Legacy, a collection of stories featuring teachers, school leaders and students in the schools that are part of the Ohio High School Transformation Initiative, the largest concentration of high school redesign work in the country. The first group of stories in a volume dedicated to urban high schools features Progressive Academy in Lima, which has adopted an arts-based curriculum.
Go to the KnowledgeWorks Web site and select "Resource Library." (October 2007)
— Foundation Funds Artistic Math and Science
The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation has awarded Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio $15,000 to supplement artistic math and science residency programs in greater Cleveland area public schools. The residencies are designed to help students gain proficiency in math or science through immersion in a creative experience. (March 2007)
—Columbus Forges Arts and Writing Partnership
Last year, The Africentric Secondary School, a Columbus Public Schools high school partnered with the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus to deliver "Pages: An Art and Writing Program" to 50 students. Students experienced and wrote about works in the multiple arts disciplines featured at the Center. Dionne Custer, educator for school programs, says Wexner plans to continue offering the program to Columbus and other districts. The Wexner Center also will be holding a Teacher Open House on September 21 at 4:30 p.m. to preview some of the upcoming exhibits, screenings and performances planned for the coming year. (October 2006)
—Columbus Teachers Explore Literacy Through African Culture
Teachers from the Columbus Public Schools spent a day engaged in rich professional learning that centered on how an understanding of African art and culture can powerfully influence the literacy development of African-American students. The session, held October 21, 2005, launched Teaching Literacy Through the Arts, a professional development series sponsored by the Institute for Education and the Arts and the Ohio Arts Council. Each session focuses on a different art form and the cultural heritage of one population in Columbus. For each session, a researcher, an artist, and a community leader who share the heritage being explored lead the learning.
Cynthia Dillard, Associate Professor of Integrated Teaching and Learning in The Ohio State University College of Education, discussed the African world view that still powerfully influences African-American children. Tei Street, Director of Education for the City of Columbus, described how arts education "rescued" her as an adolescent. Suzan Bradford and the Thiossane West African Dance Group presented African drumming and dancing. For a transcript of Integrating Literacy, Learning and Arts Education: Building on the African-American Experience, see www.artsedinstitute.org. (March 2006)
—Dayton Teachers Explore Arts Integration
Teachers in the Dayton City Schools are exploring how to integrate music and visual art with other subject areas. In a professional development experience with Dayton artist Willis "Bing" Davis, they will broaden their knowledge of non-Western art. Davis also is working with some Dayton students to create an after school art club called Kuumba (Swahili for creativity). (March 2006)
—Botkins Local Applies Institute Lessons
Botkins Local School District hit the ground running after attending the 2004 NEA Summer Institute, reports curriculum specialist Kathleen Roggenkamp. The change is evident from the more arts-rich physical environments and a new high school extracurricular program called "Something Creative." Students in that group held an "Evening with the Arts" last spring. After a supper, citizens rotated through stations where they saw brief music and drama performances and students engaging in arts activities. (October 2005)
—Stark County Teachers Explore Integration
Stark County Educational Service Center and Stark County cultural, civic and business organizations, along with the Institute for Education and the Arts (IEA), the Ohio Arts Council, and the Ohio Department of Education, held a professional development day for educators as the first event in the 2005-06 National Overture for the Arts-Stark County. The National Overture, led by the IEA, is intended to demonstrate the power of teaching academic subjects through the creative arts.
For a transcript of The Role of the Arts in Effective Teaching and Learning (PDF), see www.artsedinstitute.org (October 2005)
— Columbus Teachers Will Support Literacy Through Arts Learning
Working with the Institute for Education and the Arts, the Columbus City Schools is sponsoring professional development for school leaders on how the fine arts can reinforce literacy teaching and remediation. After seeing demonstrations using dance and music, principals were amazed and excited, says curriculum specialist Bonita Agnew. (April 2005)
—Hamilton City Arts Educators Focus on Differentiated Instruction, Integration
Hamilton City Schools arts educators engaged in professional development focused on differentiating instruction in teaching the arts, integrating learning in the fine and language arts, and working with cognitively delayed students, says fine arts director Laurin Sprague. (April 2005)
—School Leaders Embrace Arts Standards
When Ohio's new academic content standards in the fine arts were adopted, curriculum leaders took immediate and effective steps:
- Sara Suver, Clark County ESC, began working with partners in area consortia to make sure all presentations and workshops addressed the standards.
- Mike Huffman, Lima City Schools, made a presentation to the local school board.
- Cindi Menefield, Cincinnati Public Schools, met with area professional developers to ensure that teacher training will be standards-based.
- John Eby, Cleveland Municipal School District, supported standards-based professional development for artists and teachers in the Young Audiences of Greater Cleveland program. (November 2004)
Arts Learning Advocacy and Advocates
AEP Spring Forum Selected for Release of Presidential Report
Registration is still open for the Arts Education Partnership's May 6-7 spring forum, entitled "Picturing a Complete Education: Keep the Arts in Mind." At this session the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) will announce and publicly release its report Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America's Future Through Creative Schools. The culmination of 18 months of research, meetings with stakeholders and site visits all over the country, this report represents an in-depth review of the current condition of arts education, including an update of the current research base about arts education outcomes and an analysis of the challenges and opportunities in the field that have emerged over the past decade. It also includes a set of recommendations to federal, state and local policymakers.
Drawing from the findings in the report, the panel will discuss from various perspectives how to build new allies for arts education and how to link arts education outcomes to the larger educational and economic debates that are occurring around the country.
The two-day conversation will center on what the vital role of the arts, along with other core subjects, in creating a complete and comprehensive education that paves the way for student success. Jonah Lehrer, the author of Proust was a Neuroscientist (2007) and How We Decide (2009) is the keynote speaker. Lehrer delves deeply into the interconnections between art and science, revealing the art behind centuries of human discovery and the brain science that is part of what makes us human. His 2007 book suggests that artists of the past anticipated what today's neuroscientists are learning about the mind. Breakout sessions will examine the role of arts education in meeting a variety of educational challenges and highlight successful arts education programs.
You can register and find additional information at the AEP's website.
Dayton Arts Educator to Receive Governor's Award
Michael K. Lippert, Elementary Program Director of Dayton's The Muse Machine, will be the 2011 recipient for a Governor's Award for Arts Education. His program, which is quickly becoming a national model, helped transform the Muse Machine's struggling elementary program into a hugely successful residency-based program. An actor as well as an educator, Lippert has worked as an arts integration consultant for the Association for the Advancement of Arts Education and participated in the Kennedy Center Seminar, "Artists as Educators: Planning Effective Workshops for Teachers." In his current position as the elementary program director at The Muse Machine, an organization "dedicated to changing the lives of young people through the arts," Lippert has created arts-integrated curriculum for more than 1,000 primary and secondary classrooms throughout Ohio and Kentucky.
Other nominees in the Arts Education category were Forest-Aires women's chorus (Anderson Township), BAYarts (Bay Village); Cincinnati Children's Choir, Gary Gaffney (Cincinnati); GS3, Colleen T. Porter, Michael Mauldin, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (Cleveland); Tony Sias (Cleveland Heights); Mara Marcom (Columbus); Stivers School for the Arts (Dayton); Catherine Buchholz (Holgate); Linda Tieman (McDermott); Rebecca Burnett (Union City); and SMARTS (Students Motivated by the Arts) (Youngstown).
The Governor's Award for the Arts winners are chosen for outstanding contributions to the arts statewide, regionally and nationally. Additional information is available on the OAC website.
NEA Chairman Announces New Slogan
Rocco Landesman was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 7, 2009, as the tenth chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Prior to joining the NEA, he was a Broadway theater producer. He holds a doctorate in dramatic literature from the Yale School of Drama.
Landesman has announced a new slogan that is easy to memorize but rich with meaning—"Art Works." The two-word slogan has a triple meaning: 1) "Art Works" are the actual artistic products that NEA promotes and supports; 2) "Art Works" on individuals in somewhat intangible but myriad ways, inspiring and enriching everyday life; and 3) "Art Works" as an economic engine, producing measurable benefits for communities and economies. Landesman is in the midst of a six-month nationwide tour for the purpose of seeing and spotlighting all the ways that art works in neighborhoods and towns across America. The tour is a fitting accompaniment to the NEA's new "Our Town" program, which will provide arts organizations with small, targeted grants for projects that benefit their communities. Landesman also plans to lobby aggressively for more arts funding. (March 2010)
President Is Strong Advocate for Arts Education
President Barack Obama's position paper on arts and culture encourages partnerships between schools and arts organizations, proposes an artist corps to work in low-income schools and promises to publically champion arts education. (April 2009)
—School Administrators Association Places Arts Learning Center Stage
The American Association of School Administrators and Americans for the Arts have formed a partnership to place the arts at the center of discussions about building a 21st century workforce. They will issue a report this spring. The March issue of the AASA's School Administrator features articles on the value of arts learning. Link to AASA articles. (April 2008)
—Congress Speaks Out for Music Education
On April 26, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed House Concurrent Resolution 121, recognizing the benefits of school-based music education. The resolution states that "it is the sense of the Congress that music education grounded in rigorous instruction is an important component of a well-rounded academic curriculum and should be available to every student in every school." The resolution recognizes that music strengthens a child's intellectual development, improves the learning environment and enhances skills necessary for the 21st century, including "the ability to analyze, solve problems, communicate and work cooperatively." Children who do not have music education in their school are, according to the resolution, "at a disadvantage compared to their peers in other communities."
The Senate voted to agree with the House on May 15. (June 2007)
—President Appoints Ohioan to National Council on the Arts
President George W. Bush has appointed Charlotte Power Kessler, a member of the Ohio Arts Council Board, to serve on the National Council on the Arts, the advisory body of the National Endowment for the Arts. Her appointment has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Ms. Kessler is an active arts patron and community volunteer. She also serves on the Wexner Center for the Arts Foundation Board and is vice president of the Columbus Metropolitan Library Foundation. (January 2007)
—Secretary of Education Addresses Arts Education
In a July Education Commission of the States report on its arts-in education initiative, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings clarified the role of the arts in No Child Left Behind. The arts, says the Secretary, "are an important part of a well-rounded, complete education for every student." She also advocated combining the arts with other subject areas to increase student engagement and academic achievement.
In September, the U.S. Department of Education noted these remarks in a letter to Title I State Directors and sent them copies of the Arts Education Partnership's book Third Space: When Learning Matters. Based on case studies of ten high-poverty schools, Third Space provides a detailed look at the transformative effect the arts can have.
A Third Space tool kit is available at the AEP's Web site www.aep-arts.org). (January 2007)
—Ohio Chancellor Named to ECS Arts Education Committee
Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, 2004-06 chairman of the Education Commission of the States (ECS), has named Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Roderick Chu to his Commission on the Arts. The Commission will recommend ways to keep the arts strong in our nation's schools. (April 2005)
—U.S. Education Secretary Supports Arts
The perception that the arts are endangered because of No Child Left Behind is "both disturbing and just plain wrong," says a letter from U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige. (November 2004)
—ECS Chairman Chooses Arts Education As Focus
The Education Commission of the States (ECS) has launched the Chairman's Initiative on Arts in Education. Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas will lead the initiative during his two-year term as the 2004-06 ECS chairman. The goal of the initiative is to lead states in ensuring that every child has the opportunity to participate in, learn about and enjoy the arts. Read more at www.ecs.org/ArtsinEducation. (November 2004)
Imagination, Creativity & Innovation
—Creativity Summit Planned in Columbus
If you are looking for a creative spark, Columbus is the place to be on October 14 and 15.
First, the Columbus Museum of Art will host Creativity in Your Life on Thursday, October 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the museum. Whatever your profession and interest, you can participate in discussions and workshops to develop your own creativity and relect on the essential role of creative thinking in our schools, organizations and society. A bonus for attending is the opportunity to see CMA's new Center for Creativity, which will open officially in January. Speakers include:
- Keynote speaker Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay and The Yiddish Policeman's Union
- Liz Lessner, CEO of the Betty's family of restaurants
- Pete Scantland, President of Orange Barrel Media
- Artie Isaac, Cofounder of Young Isaac and SpeakerSite
The cost is $45 and includes lunch and admission to all programming. Registration begins September 1 and ends October 6. To register, call 614-629-5947.
On Friday, October 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the Columbus College of Art & Design and Columbus Museum of Art will present a Creative Educator Professional Development Workshop at the museum. This interactive workshop will engage teachers in exploring the vital role of creativity in 21st-century learning and provide opportunities to develop strategies for promoting creaivity in their schools. Keynote speaker will be George Szekely, a researcher and author who has pioneered creative principles and methodologies in the field of art teaching.
The cost is $30 and includes registration, materials and lunch. Online registration begins September 1; go to www.ccad.edu/ce to register. (September 2010)
—Ohio Holds Statewide "Imagination Conversations
The Lincoln Center Institute (LCI) has launched a nationwide project called the Imagination Conversations.
Imagination Conversations bring together panels of reflective practitioners from the arts, education, the sciences, business, public policy and the humanities to share stories of how imagination plays a role in their fields and professional lives and to speculate on what it means to work and think imaginatively. The LCI is hoping that every state will hold and videotape at least one Imagination Conversation in preparation for a national Imagination Summit to be held in 2011.
An Ohio partnership including the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education (OAAE), the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) and the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) is leading the effort in Ohio with a series of conversations in different venues. Two conversations have already taken place and more are planned. The next will occur at the 2010 Ohio Dance Festival, to be held May 15-16 at Oberlin College. (March 2010)
