Professional Development
Opening Minds Through the Arts Summer Institute
Inspired by exciting, ongoing research into connections between brain development and music, Tucson's Opening Minds Through the Arts (OMA) is a leader in a national movement to integrate arts education with core curriculum. OMA uses instrumental music, opera, dance, theater, and visual arts to help teach reading, writing, math, and science to children from kindergarten through eighth grade. The Fine Arts Summer Institute, held two times a year, is a one-week intensive, hands-on training in arts integration practice and strategies for classroom teachers, arts teachers, teaching artists, arts integration specialists, and administrative staff. This year's dates are May 26-May 31, 2008 or July 28-August 1, 2008. For more information, visit www.omaproject.org/index.php/professionaldvlp.
Secondary Teachers' Institute at the Getty
This three-and-a-half day program in June 2008 at the Getty Center in Los Angeles will introduce secondary-level teachers of literature, social sciences, and other humanities-based programs to California photographers such as Carleton Watkins and Eadweard Muybridge. Teachers will examine photographic images that connect both to the landscape and to important historic events that shaped California history between 1850 and 1890. Education staff will work with teachers to develop lesson plans that will be posted to the Getty Center Web site. Participants are eligible for LAUSD salary points or USC Continuing Education Units. Registration information will be available in February 2008. For more information, visit http://www.getty.edu/education/for_teachers.
The National Endowment for the Arts Grant Opportunities
The National Endowment for the Arts is committed to providing leadership in arts education. The following are a few of the grant opportunities currently available. For more information, visit www.arts.gov/grants/apply/Artsed.html.
- Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth: To advance arts education for children and youth in school-based or community-based settings. This category supports in-depth, curriculum-based arts education experiences that occur over an extended period. Application deadline: June 9, 2008
- Access to Artistic Excellence: To encourage and support artistic excellence, preserve our cultural heritage, and provide access to the arts for all Americans. This category supports projects that provide short-term arts exposure or arts appreciation for children and youth as well as intergenerational education projects. Application deadlines: March 10 and August 11, 2008
- Challenge America: Reaching Every Community: For support, primarily to small and mid-sized organizations, of projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations. Application deadline: June 2, 2008
Metropolitan Museum of Art Summer Teacher Institutes
A number of summer 2008 teacher institute programs are offered this summer: "Connecting Collections: Integrating Modern and Contemporary Art into the Classroom" (July 14-18); an online course, "Global Perspectives: Exploring Landscapes"(July 14-August 1); and "World Views: Landscapes in the Museum" (July 28-August 1). For more information, visit www.metmuseum.org/events/teachers.
The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation Special Projects Program
The Mr. Holland's Opus Special Projects Program provides musical instruments and instrument repairs to existing K-12 school music programs that have no other source of financing to purchase additional musical instruments and materials. The Special Projects application is intended for music programs that take place solely after school. Applications are due August 1, 2008. For more information, visit www.mhopus.org.
Nominations for ASCD's Outstanding Young Educator Award (OYEA)
Begun in 2002, ASCD's OYEA Program recognizes creative and committed teachers and administrators under the age of 40 who are making a difference in the lives of children. These educators are developing and using best practices to ensure all children are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. ASCD highlights these young educators as models for all young education professionals or prospective educators. Nominations are due August 1, 2008. For more information, visit www.ascd.org.
The Surdna Foundation Fellowships to High School Arts Teachers
The Surdna Arts Teachers Fellowship Program is a national initiative to support the artistic revitalization of outstanding arts teachers. Eligibility guidelines and awards this year are targeted to arts teachers working in specialized public arts high schools and arts-focused magnet and charter high schools. Recognizing that such teachers often lack the time and resources to reconnect with the artistic processes they teach, the Program provides grants of up to $5,000 to enable selected teachers to make art with professionals in their disciplines and stay current with new practices and resources. A complementary grant of $1,500 is awarded to each Fellow's school to support related post-Fellowship activities. Letters of Intent to Apply will be due by November 16, 2008. For more information, visit www.surdna.org.
Barnes & Noble Announces Sponsorships for Arts Programs
The national bookstore chain provides in-store fund-raising opportunities, sponsorships, and donations to local and regional nonprofit organizations that focus on literacy, the arts, or pre-K-12 education. Applicants must be located in communities with Barnes & Noble stores and should serve the greater good of the local community or region. A plan for promoting your program with Barnes & Noble should be included in the proposal. Applications may be submitted at any time. For more information, visit the "Our Company" and "Sponsorships and Charitable Donations" links at our homepage: www.barnesandnobleinc.com.
GRAMMY Foundation Grants
The GRAMMY Foundation Grant Program funds Scientific Research Projects for organizations and individuals to support efforts that advance the research and/or broad reaching implementations of original scientific research projects related to the impact of music on the human condition, and Archiving and Preservation Projects for organizations and individuals to support efforts that advance the archiving and preservation of the music and recorded sound heritage of the Americas. Details regarding the 2008/2009 cycle of grants will be posted at www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Foundation/Grants/.
Teacher Enrichment Grant Program
The Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Foundation Fund offers Teacher Enrichment Grants which may be used for private study, college-level course work, or special projects in performance, pedagogy, music theory, and composition. The grant is not intended to be used to pursue course work toward a degree, for travel funds, or for ongoing projects. The number of grants awarded in any year is determined by the number of qualified applicants and available funds. For more information, visit www.mtnafoundation.org.
The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation Grant Opportunities
Grant opportunities are available year-round for K-12 and after-school music education programs through the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation. The Melody Program and the Special Projects Program each offer awards of $500-$8,000 worth of instruments. For more information, visit http://www.mhopus.org/teachers.asp.
National Endowment for the Arts Education Leaders Institute
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) partners with the Illinois Arts Council to create the NEA Education Leaders Institute, a new program that will help increase the commitment of school leaders, state legislators, and policy makers to enhance the quality and quantity of arts education. The Institutes will commence with a pilot session in March 2008. For more information, visit www.state.il.us/agency/iac.
Music Technology Private Study
Enjoy private one-on-one instruction, year-round, at the new Mike Klinger Music Technology Retreat in the woods of Carson, Washington (50 miles east of Portland) with Mike Klinger. This two-day, open-ended course concentrates on solving individual needs and working with students' own equipment issues and hardware/software issues. Applications may consist of music sequencing, music composing/printing, music theory, software/hardware evaluations, digital audio recording, and scanning. For more information, visit www.midiworkshop.com/music.htm.