U of A ARTeacher Fellowship Program Accepting Applications

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ARTeacher Fellowship participants take a break for a group picture during a recent workshop combining photography and personal interview.

ARTeacher Fellowship is seeking bright and dedicated teachers to take part in this innovative and award-winning program.

The Fellowship, which will enter its 11th year this summer, is open to area secondary teachers in English, science, social studies and world/foreign language who are interested in the integration of arts strategies into core curriculum to deepen and invigorate the learning process. Ten teachers will be selected to participate in this yearlong professional development. First-year Fellows receive a $1,000 stipend for successful completion of the program.

The application period is now open, and the deadline to apply is March 31. Download the ARTeacher Fellowship application here.

The ARTeacher Fellowship is organized by the U of A Center for Children and Youth in collaboration with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Walton Arts Center. The Center for Children and Youth was recently recognized with the Governor's Arts Award for arts in education.

The ARTeacher Fellowship provides secondary teachers with an intensive course of training over four consecutive days during the summer and four separate days during the school year (two meetings per semester). The professional development focuses on using performing, visual and media arts strategies in the classroom. To be considered, applicants should be in their third year or greater of teaching English, science, social studies or world languages in middle, junior high and high school. Applicants must demonstrate a keen interest in learning arts-based strategies, a willingness to implement them in their classroom, and the ability to collaborate effectively with other participants. Fellows who successfully complete their first year may be selected to continue for a second and third year to further develop their expertise.

"Spirited, creative and socially engaged learning is at the heart of our vision for what a classroom should provide," said Hung Pham, director for the Center for Children & Youth. "The ARTeacher Fellowship has shown over the last decade the power of arts integration to help create that type of classroom. It's an absolute privilege to work with this tremendous collection of educators in the Fellowship."

The ARTeacher Fellowship partners with numerous leaders in the field of art and education, including the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Participating Fellows have presented on arts integration at conferences across the state as well as nationally.

"I attribute so much of my growth to the [ARTeacher Fellowship] program," said Julie Griggs, a Fellowship graduate. "ARTeacher challenges me to stretch and to view myself as a professional beyond just my classroom — not just in arts integration but in all aspects of my career." Griggs was selected as the 2018 Teacher of the Year at Bentonville High School, where she teaches English.

The Center for Children and Youth is an endowed initiative housed in the U of A College of College of Education and Health Professions, Department of Curriculum and Instruction.