Arts Integration Workshop in the Cedar Valley

Since 2003, the Gallagher Bluedorn and Waterloo Community Schools have worked together as Kennedy Center Partners in Education to bring the arts into district classrooms. Now in its 20th year, the partnership continues to evolve in new and exciting ways.

Much of the partnerships’ current efforts are focused on arts integration in the classroom. This methodology teaches both a curricular unit and an art form in tandem, leading to greater student engagement with increased learning in both subject areas. 

Partners in Education have been intentional at bringing teaching artists who are experts in arts integration into Waterloo classrooms to lead this work. However, the learning isn’t just for area youth; it extends to teachers as well through professional development opportunities.

On March 25, 2023, the partnership will be hosting an Arts Integration Workshop to showcase the field of teaching artistry. This professional development opportunity connects educators and teaching artists, and will actively explore arts integration practices through various breakout sessions. Time will be set aside for networking and planning.

The keynote artist will be Quynn Johnson, a NYC-based, internationally recognized dancer, teaching artist, and author, who will deliver a toe-tapping keynote address and lead interactive workshops.

The workshop will be held at Central Rivers Area Education Agency, 1521 Technology Pkwy, Cedar Falls, from 8am – 12:30pm.

 Registration is open to the public and is available here: sites.google.com/view/aea-artsintegration2023/home. The cost to attend is $5 for UNI students, $10 for participants, $45 for educators seeking license renewal, and $135 for graduate credit. Non-AEA members must set up an account to register, and the account will be active approximately 24 hours after registration.

 For questions, please contact Jennifer Onuigbo, Community Relations Manager, Jennifer.onuigbo@uni.edu