Teaching at arts organizations or in schools can be a wonderful way of sharing your love of art. The Community Engagement Lab and the Vermont Arts Council support the development of teaching artists through a Teaching Artist Academy and a Teaching Artist Roster.

The Teaching Artist Academy explores best practices that ensure classroom teacher/teaching artist partnerships thrive in real-world situations. Twenty artists will be selected to participate, and ten of those will be awarded Fellowships. Fellows will continue in extended Academy sessions with overnight lodging and meals provided, and be considered for a $5,200 Vermont Creative Schools Initiative teaching artist residency award. Participants can choose to earn three graduate credits (fees apply) or a 30-hour Certificate of Participation (free). Academy sessions are January 13-14 and March 24-25, 2018 at the Lake Morey Resort. Apply through the Community Engagement Lab by November 15.
 
The Arts Council's Teaching Artist Roster is a list of artists who have been vetted and then recommended for addition to the list by a panel. Schools are encouraged to contact these artists to create in-school residencies that integrate the arts with the curriculum. These residencies can be funded by the Artists in Schools Grant. The roster will open to applications in December.

If you have considered becoming a teaching artist, or you already are a teaching artist interested in honing you skills, contact Paul Gambill at the Community Engagement Lab or Troy Hickman at the Vermont Arts Council to learn more.

Elissa Campbell, owner of Blue Roof Designs, creates and sells hand-bound books. She is listed on the Council's Teaching Artist Roster, and teaches bookbinding in various locations around Vermont. Her next class is October 28 at Barre's Studio Place Arts; she'll be walking participants through the steps to create a "Peek-a-Boo Journal." You can also catch Elissa's work at the Women's Festival of Crafts in Weston on November 25-26.

Are you an artist in or near the Northeast Kingdom? Are you interested in being or are you already a teaching artist working in schools? The Vermont Arts Council is partnering with five Vermont arts agencies to bring opportunities, resources, and connection to teaching artists. The first event is a mixer and networking event on Sunday, November 5 from 4-6 p.m. at the Highland Center in Greensboro. Visit the Facebook event page for details and to RSVP.