March 2021
SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS NEWSLETTER
Happy Arts in Education Month!!
 
Did you know that congress passed the resolution resolution to designate March as Arts Education Month on March 2, 2000? This marks 21 years of national recognition of the creative and transformative power of Arts Education in our public and public charter schools! Thank you to all who thoughtfully explore this subject matter with your students. The DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative salutes you!

Follow us @DCCollaborative on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up to date on featured programs and professional development! Got questions? Contact Ashlee@DCCollaborative.org
Table of Contents:
  • DC Collaborative Announcements
  • AHFES News
  • Featured Programs
  • Teacher PD Opportunities
  • Student Opportunities
  • Ways to Give
DC COLLABORATIVE ANNOUNCEMENTS
YOUR VOICE MATTERS & WE WANT TO HEAR IT!!

Have you been wanting to become more involved with the work of The DC Collaborative? Do you have opinions and suggestions that would improve our model to help serve you and your students better? Below you will find some ways to connect with us an integral part of the Collaborative process:

1) Teacher Focus Groups: The Education team will host four teacher focus groups based on grade band starting March 25th. This is an opportunity for the DC Collaborative to hear and later address the needs of the members of the education community at this current time. We are seeking constructive feedback on the programming offered, the assessment process, and the needs/desires of the education community as we continue to navigate the synchronous and asynchronous world of education. Complete the Focus Group Sign Up Form to register for an available slots. Participants will receive a $20 Amazon gift card for their time.
 
2) Submit Photos, Testimonies, and Blogs: The excitement and level of engagement you observe in your students before, during, and after the arts and humanities programming must be heart warming. We want to feature you and your students in our Story Bank blog and on our website. If you have pictures, video reactions, or if you are interested in submitting a blog post about your experience using the AHFES programming, please complete the Submission Form. We would be most grateful to see evidence of the transformative power of arts and humanities education.

3) Become a Representative: The DC Collaborative has been the organizational hub of the Any Given Child (AGC) initiative, which is a nationwide network of like-minded communities striving to create full access to and equity in arts education programs. Represent DCPS and DCPCS educators on the Equity and Justice Committee, Steering Committee, or Assessment and Evaluation Committee. If interested, please email Ashlee McKinnon at Ashlee@dcccollaborative.org. 

4) Stay Informed: Sign up to receive our monthly Collective Impact Newsletter to stay informed on the community based on a framework that utilizes the voices of the entire arts and humanities education community and is at the center of our operations.
 
As educators, your voice is ESSENTIAL in shaping and implementing this framework into your classroom, curriculum, and professional development.
AHFES NEWS
Please complete all Winter Program Assessments before March 30th. As mentioned and signed in the AHFES Program Access Form and School Partnership Expectations, completing teacher and student reflections is required after program participation. Reflection forms are written in English and Spanish for your convenience.   These assessments are each designed to take less than 5-minutes. Contact BoBeen Chung at Bobeen@dccollaborative.org if you have questions concerning assessments. The links are posted below for easy access.

Registration for our Spring Arts and Humanities For Every Student Program will open on Monday, March 22nd. These virtual and asynchronous programs will run from April- June.
FEATURED PROGRAMS
National Cherry Blossom Festival Student Art Gallery 2021

All Student Art Submissions are due this Friday, March 12th! Please review our Submission Guidelines before submitting. We highly recommend teachers filling out the Submission Form on behalf of their students, but if that is not possible, please ensure that the form is completely filled out and images of artworks are clear when uploaded. Please do not include the student’s face in any submissions. The release form should also be signed by the parents electronically.
Please make sure to inform your students of the deadline and be ready to submit by COB (5:30 pm EST) on Friday, March 12. A document will be shared soon with detailed instructions and suggestions on how best to photograph and upload your students’ artwork. Instead of a contest, this year all artworks submitted will be exhibited online and in public. 

All artwork will be exhibited on the National Cherry Blossom Festival website, displayed on a large screen in Gallery Place, and showcased on screens at several Chase branches in the DC area.
DC Collaborative Teaching Artist/ Practitioner Convening

We invite you to join us at the first teaching artist/practitioner general convening of 2021!

During the kick-off convening, we will reconnect, share updates on the current Arts and Humanities For Every Student (AHFES) program model, and discuss ways that the Collaborative can support active DC Collaborative Teaching Artist/ Practitioner members and organizations.

Regardless of your attendance, please fill out the member questionnaire below that will help us to provide better service based on you and our community's needs.

Date/ Time: Thursday, March 24
Meeting Time: 4 PM
Note: Zoom meeting link will be provided upon registering below.
TEACHER PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
The Phillips Collection: Virtual Teacher Workshops: Using Arts Integration to Foster a Culturally Responsive Classroom

Through this workshop series, educators investigate how to approach an arts integration lesson through a culturally responsive lens. Each child comes to the classroom with their own distinct background, experiences, and ways of knowing. These workshops will use culturally responsive teaching to cater to students’ strengths and experiences and arts integration as a multimodal instructional strategy. Each session will focus on a different content area and artwork from The Phillips Collection. Educators will participate in artmaking using common household items and learn practical skills for teaching an arts-integrated lesson, all through a culturally responsive approach.
Session 2: Art & Counter Storytelling - Wednesday, April 7, 3:30-6:30 pm 
Session 3: Art & Empathy - Wednesday, April 28, 3:30-6:30 pm 
Educators of all grade levels and subject areas are encouraged to participate. Feel free to attend some or all of the sessions! Each session will be 3 hours and is eligible for DCPS teachers to receive 3 PLU per session. Teachers beyond DCPS are welcome to attend but may not be eligible for credit.
OSSE presents "Dramatic Solutions" professional development opportunity

Teachers can explore the role of drama techniques for trauma informed approaches, utilizing brain breaks and creative exercises for SEL development in young students, and building upon creative discipline solutions to help reach all students. This opportunity is brought to you by Kennedy Center Teaching artist Dr. Carmen White and her husband Lennie Smith of Dramatic Solutions. Please pre-register as space is limited. Contact Jessica.Dulay@dc.gov for questions.
"Games, Creative Exercises, & Brain Breaks for SEL- Level 3" Mar. 12th
STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES
The National Theatre Corporation

The Saturday Morning Live! At The National program is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year with virtual performances by nationally known educators and artists. New episodes premiere every other Saturday at 9:30 AM via Facebook Premiere. If you have any questions please contact Emily Schmid at Eschmid@nationaltheatre.org
For this new era of distanced and adapted learning, the Kennedy Center offers our spring Performances for Young Audiences season FREE and virtual to all teachers and students across the country. This includes six digital performances in music, dance, and theater that your schools can only see here, by registering in advance and obtaining your own school links. Included in the exciting series of performances are two all-new works by our Education Artist-in-Residence, author and illustrator Mo Willems.
Ways to Give
Donate to the DC Collaborative online or remit payment by check to:

DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative

The DC Collaborative is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

  • Are you a government employee? Give through the CFC Catalogue of Caring. We're CFC#66894
  • Does your company have a matching gift program? Would you like to make a gift of stock or a planned gift? Let us know
The DC Collaborative is a recipient of an FY21 General Operating Support Service Grant from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
The DC Collaborative is proud to receive a grant for its Collective Impact work supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The DC Collaborative is the backbone support organization that leads members of the Any Given Child DC program, part of The John F. Kennedy  Center for the Performing Arts.