Animals of Jackson Hole | 2nd Grade
What is project-based learning?
Project-Based Learning provides students with a real-world context for academic coursework. Through projects students gain a sense of purpose and meaning as well as skills they can apply in other contexts. The framework for creating successful projects consists of six integral elements called the “6 As”: Academic rigor, Authenticity, Applied learning, Active exploration, Adult connections and Assessment practices.
What does an arts-based classroom project look like?
Teachers pair up with artist partners (visual artists, musicians, dancers, actors, filmmakers, writers, photographers) to provide students with a problem to solve artistically. Successfully completely the project requires students to understand class content and to communicate their understanding through specific art forms. The idea is to engage the students in projects which interests them and relates to the real world.
The arts level the playing field, providing all students with an opportunity for self-expression. Students often work in groups in this methodology, combining one another’s unique strengths to develop a high quality and in-depth project. Arts-based projects lend themselves to public exhibition or performance, giving students an opportunity to demonstrate what they know.
Does this kind of instruction meet academic standards?
When arts-based projects connect to class content, they meeting multiple standards at one time. You may be surprised at how natural the process actually is. Driven Creative to Meet the Standards, funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Walton Family Fund, the Wyoming Arts Council and Old Bill’s Fun Run for Charities, was developed specifically to demonstrate the effectiveness of using the arts to meet academic standards. The arts are the tools to help students both explore and articulate understanding in any subject. They enhance the teaching and learning of the academic subject and do not replace it.
What is pARTners?
pARTners was conceived in a meeting of the Cultural Council of Jackson Hole shortly after the dance budget had been cut from the High School budget back in 1994. Over the years its goals and objectives have changed. Currently pARTners is working with the school district to develop a plan to provide for the effective use of community resources to support learning in the schools. Our Integrated Arts Program provides opportunities for nonprofit organizations to share valuable skills and knowledge with students to support learning in the classroom.
In what ways do the arts impact student learning?
The arts are hands-on, they connect students to themselves and each other, they transform the learning environment, and they help to reach students who are otherwise not being reached. (Champions of Change, 1999).
A recent study done by Stanford University shows that “…more students who received high levels of arts instruction earned high scores on measures of creative thinking than students with low levels of arts instruction. Creative thinking includes various aspects of problem solving: how many ideas a student has in response to a problem, how original those ideas are, how detailed the ideas are, and the student’s ability to keep her mind open long enough for innovative ideas to surface. The results were found to be, ‘more firmly tied to rich arts provision than to high economic status.’” (Learning & the Arts: Crossing Boundaries, 2000)
How do I get in touch with artistic collaborators?
Contact the pARTners Executive Director, Ruth Moran via email at ruth@edu-partners.org and describe what you want to do in your classroom. Ruth will assist you in finding the most appropriate artist partner(s) for your project and will put you directly in touch with the artist(s) and/or the arts organization with whom they work.
How does an artist/writer/performer get involved in arts-based education?
The best way to get directly in touch with teachers is to contact pARTners’ staff and describe what you are hoping to do, your background, and your classroom experience (if any). We can discuss your concept with you and put you in touch with appropriate teaching staff. You can reach pARTners at ruth@partnersjh.org.
You can help pARTners by submitting your biographical information and samples of your work with students and/or your artwork so that we can add you to our Artists section of this site. If you are not yet ready to jump into the classroom and would like to volunteer your time alongside one of our experienced artist partners, contact us at ruth@partnersjh.org and we’ll help organize a mentor session for you with one of our artist/teacher pairs.
School-based arts education reaches ALL students.
According to James Catterall’s evidence-based research on the impact of arts education, “Research shows that children from low-income families are less likely to be consistently involved in arts activities or instruction than children from high-income families. School-based arts education is more accessible to a broader cross-section of Americans than is arts education in the private sector” (James S. Catterall, Doing Well and Doing Good by Art, Los Angeles/London: Imagination Group/I-Group Books, 2009).
Our Mission
pARTners ignites creative thinking and self-expression in students by integrating the ARTS into Teton County K-12 curriculum.
Our Vision
Inspiring a creative passion for the ARTS through education.
Contact Us
(307) 733-2565
Email pARTners
PO Box 2188
Center for the Arts
Jackson, WY 83001