In a Creative Advantage School...


Dearborn Park Elementary Students Collaborate on Literature and Song-writing Arts Residency

Article written by Craig Seasholes, Teacher-Librarian, Dearborn Park Elementary
Video prepared by STYLE (arts partner) describing their song-writing residency at Dearborn Park International Elementary
Last spring, the library at Dearborn Park Elementary hosted a one-week songwriting-to-recording residency by STYLE artists Nate Bogolpolsky and Tiffany Wilson. Building on the book "Can I Touch Your Hair: Poems of Race, Mistakes and Friendship" by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, 5 classes of 4th and 5th grade students wrote and recorded their own songs exploring themes in the book and their own experiences with friendships in our multi-cultural school community. In addition to the songs, STYLE filmed a brief video of the experience that captures some of the magic that made this an unforgettable educational experience for all, teachers and students.

At Dearborn Park we're determined to leverage Creative Advantage funding opportunity to bring them back to our school in the years ahead so other students can experience songwriting with STYLE.

I asked STYLE director Geoff Larson for a  further description of what they offer schools.
To continue the article, click here .
For more information on Creative Advantage Arts Partners, visit The Creative Advantage Partner Roster .
Wondering how to contract with an Arts Partner? Visit the new Resources for Arts Teams page on the SPS website.



 Tuesday, November 6th, 5-7 pm

Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute ( 104 17th Ave S)

This event is FREE and open to any SPS school community members (e.g. school staff, families, PTSA's) and partners of The Creative Advantage.

DJ, food and drinks will be provided.


Find more information and RSVP here .
Arts Team Next Steps:
Find Your Next Arts Partner at the Arts Partner Meet & Greet
Meet and mingle at this networking event for The Creative Advantage arts partners and Seattle Public Schools.

The goals for this casual get together are:

  • For arts partners and teaching artists to learn about what schools are seeking regarding residencies and professional development for their students and staff.
  • For school teams to understand what arts partners and teaching artists have to offer.
Advocate for Arts: Share Your Student Stories
A powerful way to advocate for the arts in our schools and in our broader communities is to share stories of the impact the arts has on students. Sharing stories from your schools can be easy:

Step 1: OBSERVE - You (teacher or principal) observe the arts making a difference in a student’s or students’ day…e.g. Making art with a teaching artist, collaborating with a group of students on a theatre tableau, applying a personal passion like photography to a language arts project.

Step 2: RECORD - Ask their permission to snap a photo or video of them or their work.
Check with your school office ahead of time to see which students are on the no-photo list.

Step 3: REFLECT - Write 2-3 sentences describing where, when, and what learning and is happening in the photo. Maybe include a quote from the student. 

Step 4: SHARE - Share on your school's newsletters and social media AND send to Audrey Querns -Creative Advantage Project Mgr so that we can share in the SPS SchoolBeat and SPS and Creative Advantage social media channels.
Teacher Arts Opportunities
Two sessions are being offered:

October 29-30, 2018, 9 am - 5 pm
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute
104 17th Ave., S.
Seattle, WA 98144

or
November 12-13, 9 am - 5 pm
12th Avenue Arts
1620 12th Ave.
Seattle, WA 98122
Register for either training  here
Build your Creative Facilitation Skills

Creative Facilitation is a unique 2-day experiential training that shows how to use creative activities as facilitation tools to bring depth and relevance into a classroom or convening. You’ll learn easy-to-implement strategies that welcome all voices into the room and bring out the strengths of each participant. You’ll learn ways to develop safer spaces that encourage creative risk taking and creative collaboration, and you’ll receive a tool box of activities you can put to use right away. 

The Creative Facilitation Training is based on Partners for Youth Empowerment’s Creative Empowerment Model which integrates creative practices with group facilitation and experiential learning. For more information visit: www.partnersforyouth.org
Grant Opportunity:
2018 Greater Seattle Choral Consortium Youth Choral Education Fund

Three awards (up to $750 each) are available, to be used during 2019. The GSCC will be soliciting for applications three times during the 2018-2019 concert season, and awarding one project for each application session. This is the first application session for the 2018-2019 season.

Preference will be given to choral directors, teachers, and youth leaders who:
• Work with students, families, and institutions with the greatest socio-economic challenges
• Have demonstrated high quality music teaching/leadership
• Work with young people who currently have no or limited access to a choral experience
• Work with elementary or middle school aged singers
• Work in the Puget Sound region

Choral directors, teachers, and youth leaders, please submit the following 3 items by Wednesday, October 31, 2018:
• A one-page proposal letter, describing your singers, teaching situation, and the need for funding
• A short letter of recommendation (can be an email) from an administrator, colleague, or parent regarding the quality of your work with young people
• A proposed budget (itemize how you will spend the money—choral sheet music, accompanist for rehearsals and/or concerts, teacher stipend, venue rental, etc.)

In December of 2019, award recipients will submit: a written summary of how the award funds were spent; a printed concert program (if used); and a photo or short recording (audio/video) of the choir(s) who benefited from the award funds.

All materials are due by Wednesday, October 31, 2018 by email to Greater Seattle Choral Consortium YCEF committee, ycef@seattlesings.org. Please email the committee with questions or for more information.
This series by the CYD National Partnership’s Field Building Action Team is designed to provide opportunities for multiple stakeholders to connect with one another to learn, collaborate, and collectively advance creative youth development.
 
These conversational-style webinars are free and open to the public. 
Free Webinars

Healing Centered Practices through Creative Youth Development

Wednesday, October 17
3 – 4pm EST
Register here.

Supporting Youth-led Activism through Creative Youth Development

Thursday, October 25
3 – 4pm EST
Register here .
Student Arts Opportunities
Resources
As you implement your school arts plans, here are a few websites and people you can look to for help:


The Creative Advantage Page on the SPS website
Resources and tools for arts teams, Creative Advantage news and archived newsletters.

The Community Arts Partner Roster is a vetted list of teaching artists and community arts and culture organizations approved to work in Seattle Public Schools through the Creative Advantage.

The Creative Advantage Website & Toolkit houses the school arts plans, tools for planning partnerships, guidelines for contracts and invoices and more.

If you can't find what you need on-line, contact the Creative Advantage staff:
 
Audrey Querns -SPS project manager for Creative Advantage (for questions about arts teams and planning, arts partner logistics like contracts and funding)
 
Tina LaPadula - Seattle Office of Arts & Culture Creative Youth Project Manager and Lara Davis -Arts Education Manager (for questions about the Arts Partner Roster and working with teaching artists and arts organizations) 

Gail Sehlhorst -SPS Visual and Performing Arts Manager (for questions about arts staffing, curriculum and assessment)
 
Kate Baker - SPS Media Arts Skills Center Project Manager