Partners in Education

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The Institute

The entry point for new participants is the Institute. The purpose of the Institute is to foster new teams in the development of their partnerships and programs of professional learning in the arts for teachers. At the Institute, participants examine a variety of events for teachers developed at the Kennedy Center. Workshops focus on either teaching about the arts or teaching other subject areas through the arts. Teams participate in workshops alongside Washington, D.C. metropolitan area teachers and study how the workshops are designed, implemented, and evaluated.

During the Institute, each team develops a written plan that specifies how the partners will work together to establish or expand professional learning programs in the arts for teachers in their communities. Teams receive a detailed planning guide to assist them in the development of their program. Participants also attend performances at the Kennedy Center, meet with guest artists, and hear from leaders in the field of arts education.

The next Institute will take place Wednesday, April 23 – Saturday, April 26, 2014. Learn more about joining Partners in Education.

"This has been one of those benchmark experiences of my life personally. I am even more excited about what it will mean for our community. You have given us personal and professional models which will inspire and inform our work."

"This has given us a total new format in planning. We hope our entire school system will benefit from this process when bringing in arts performances and/or arts activities."

Support and Consultation

Education Department staff provides on-going consultation to teams that have completed the Institute. Consultation may be by phone, e-mail, or site visit. In addition, teams regularly receive a newsletter outlining current information on national legislation, research, and other information and publications on the arts and education.

Annual Meetings

Teams that initiate or expand programs for teachers as a result of their work at the Institute are invited to continue their association with the Kennedy Center through Annual Meetings of partnership members. Scheduled in February, these meetings allow Team Members to receive additional training related to program and partnership development, and to recast the terms of their written partnership agreement. Annual Meetings also provide the opportunity for teams to learn from each other's experiences, renewing professional associations with other Partnership Team members and Kennedy Center staff.

"This meeting has helped me immensely to extend my thinking in the partnership beyond single-year planning. I feel that we have more tools to extend the impact of what we will do (for) broader audiences for years to come."

"It was such a motivating, exciting experience on so many levels--not the least of which was the area of personal growth and learning. While my job is full of challenges and interesting experiences, it's not often so mind-opening and challenging."

"I had participated on a team previously and was excited about introducing the Kennedy Center Partners in Education program to a new group. More than once this week, they have actually thanked me for getting them involved. From a personal and organizational perspective, I am thrilled to be back and to share the Kennedy Center with another community."

Resources Available for Your Community

Through its Partners in Education program, the Education Department of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts provides a free, valuable online resource for education directors, arts presenters, teachers and other arts educators. The Resources Available for Your Community site provides a listing that includes professional learning workshops for teachers, seminars for artist development, classroom materials for teachers and students, workshops for parents and community members, and more.