ArtsNOW loved the feature that Atlanta Parent Magazine did called “Arts = Smarts.” ArtsNOW President and CEO Pamela Walker was able to contribute to the story and share the relevance of arts-integrated learning for students.
ArtsNOW team members in attendance enjoyed networking and connecting with current ArtsNOW school partners and partner organizations, as well as making new connections from around the state. We were thrilled to facilitate five different presentations supporting arts integration, arts integration administrators, and STEAM initiatives. We were also proud to support our partner schools as they presented sessions.
We look forward to continuing our partnership with PSAE and collaborating on next year's conference!
What is a Demonstration of Learning Day?
ArtsNOW Leadership Schools open their doors for a half day to welcome educators, district leaders, and community partners to see arts-integration strategies in the classroom.
ArtsNOW Demonstration of Learning Days invites visitors to tour a school and see arts-integrated lessons in action. Teacher and student engagement is visible, energizing, and inspiring. You cannot walk the halls without hearing the sounds of creating, sharing, and learning!
This year, we have planned eight (8) ArtsNOW Demonstration of Learning Days to accommodate your schedule and showcase different types of schools in a variety of locations. Register below for the date, location, and model that best aligns with your needs and interests. (Note: Registration closes one week before each event.) For questions, please email [email protected].
Powder Springs Elementary School
4570 Grady Grier Drive, Powder Springs, GA 30127
As the first Cobb County Arts Integration Certified school, Powder Springs Elementary has been a long-time leader in arts-integrated learning and a model ArtsNOW school.
Powder Springs is a thriving example of sustainability through change in school leadership. Visit this school to see a successful school-wide implementation.
Angel Oak Elementary School
6134 Chisolm Road, Johns Island, SC 29455
As an ArtsNOW Leadership School, Angel Oak is an excellent example of school-wide arts-integration implementation. Angel Oak Elementary was part of a $2.1 million ArtsNOW SmART Literacy Grant to support arts-integrated professional learning to improve teaching and learning in literacy. The school has been recognized for showing notable gains in increasing attendance, increasing overall test scores, increasing family engagement, and supporting students’ social and emotional well-being. It was also recognized as an Arts in Basic Curriculum (ABC) School for the state of South Carolina in 2022-2023. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from principal and arts integration champion Judith Condon!
Center for Innovative Teaching Residency Program and Arts & Innovation Magnet Program
200 Bellview Street, Winder, GA 30680
Barrow County has two unique arts integration models for you to experience at the Center for Innovative Teaching. The Residency Program showcases a professional learning model in which teachers from across the district bring their students to learn how to implement arts integration. During a three-year partnership, teachers receive hands-on training with ArtsNOW consultants.
This successful model blossomed into the Arts & Innovation Magnet (AIM) Program, a full-time program for 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students. We hope you can visit this ArtsNOW Leadership school and appreciate the unique learning spaces and programs available to students and teachers.
Hillside Conant
690 Courtenay Dr. NE, Atlanta, GA 30306
Hillside Contant School is a residential public school located in Atlanta, Georgia. It offers specialized services for elementary through high school students in a 24/7 supervised and structured environment. The school provides a therapeutic and academic environment that fosters students' success. It is accredited by AdvancEd and part of the Atlanta Public School system through the Georgia Department of Education. It is also Cognia-certified.
Hillside has partnered with ArtsNOW for over five years and uses arts-integrated strategies as a cornerstone for its teaching practices. It places a strong emphasis on trauma-informed practices and social-emotional learning, using the arts to cultivate those connections to learning. Hillside is part of ArtsNOW's USDOE grant, “STEM + the Art of Integrated Learning (SAIL).”
Dowell Elementary School
2121 West Sandtown Road, Marietta, GA 30064
Dowell Elementary is one of six schools participating in the $2.78 million ArtsNOW “STEM + the Art of Integrated Learning (SAIL)” grant through the U.S. Department of Education. Come observe teachers across all grade levels bring learning to life through arts integration and STEAM instruction.
Dowell Elementary has received both STEAM and Arts Integration certifications from the Cobb County School District and values STEAM-based instruction to help every learner succeed. These learning initiatives can be viewed both inside the classroom as well as throughout the hallways, reflecting a school-wide culture of innovative and engaging education.
Register now:
Mableton Elementary School
5220 Church Street, Mableton, GA 30126
Mableton Elementary is one of six schools participating in the $2.78 million ArtsNOW “STEM + the Art of Integrated Learning (SAIL)” grant through the U.S. Department of Education. Come observe teachers in 3rd-5th grade as they support math, science, and fine arts standards through integrative arts teaching and learning strategies in their third year of the grant.
The Georgia Department of Education recognized Mableton Elementary as a STEAM-certified school. In March 2023, Mableton Elementary was granted STEAM recertification by the Cobb County School District.
Register now:
East Aiken School of the Arts
223 Old Wagener Road, Aiken, SC 29801
East Aiken School of the Arts is an established arts-magnet school that focuses on data-driven and arts-integrated instruction to meet the needs of all learners. They joined ArtsNOW as a partner school in 2022 through a two-year funding initiative from Arts Grow SC, which was renewed to continue for a third year. East Aiken is an ABC-certified school and has been recognized continuously for their excellence in arts education.
Principal Lisa Fallow presented at the ArtsNOW Principals’ Network Conference in 2024 on “The ABCs of Leading an Arts-Integrated School” and is a champion of cultivating an arts-integration school-wide culture from the top down.
Register now:
What to Expect
Each Demonstration of Learning Day is customized to each school’s schedule. After school has started for their students, the day will kick off with a welcome from ArtsNOW and school leaders. A brief overview will share school data, insights, and success with their arts integration approach.
With a map and schedule in hand, guests will then tour classrooms, observe, engage with students, and enjoy examples of learning artifacts. Educators are encouraged to explore a variety of subjects and art forms showcased throughout the school.
Each Demonstration of Learning Day typically lasts about 3 hours in the morning. For example, it may begin at 8:30 a.m. and finish at 11:30 a.m. (Specific start and end times will be published closer to each date.) The day will conclude with a group debrief and to answer any questions.
Principals and district leaders are invited to stay for a complimentary lunch for additional reflection, discussion, and networking. Lunch is typically finished by 1 p.m.
The Chestnut Family Foundation announced its 3-year commitment to ArtsNOW for a total donation of $3,000,000. Over the next three years, ArtsNOW will expand its partnerships by adding more schools to its arts-integrated model and will impact more children in need. These funds will also help expand their current team to develop new grade content and offer more services and experiences to their students, partners, and families.
ArtsNOW earned a $2.8 million Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) grant award from the US Department of Education (USDOE) for its program, “Reimagining and Accelerating Literacy through Arts Integration (REALAI).”
The Innovative Approaches to Literacy program supports high-quality programs designed to develop and improve literacy skills for children and students from birth through grade 12 in high-need local educational agencies and schools.
The REALAI program will foster students’ literacy achievement through professional development designed to build the capacity of teachers and media specialists to plan and deliver integrated instruction. It will also contribute significantly to school library collections through the purchase of developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant books.
In addition, this project will include parent events to provide families with access to books and other content about how to support their child’s reading development. Each year, REALAI will serve approximately 3,200 students and 170 teachers, media specialists, and literacy coaches across six high-need schools.
ArtsNOW partners in the project will include
The REALAI grant will begin in the fall of 2021 and conclude in the fall of 2026.
ArtsNOW is a national non-profit that offers customized solutions to improve teacher efficacy and student results through authentic arts integration.