A woman dressed in black and wearing a name tag smiles as she holds a hand-drawn poster that says, "Match My Joy." A smiley face emoji stands in place of the letter O in the word 'joy.'

Empowering Leaders, Engaging Learners: The 2024 Principal Fellowship

Fourteen school principals from four Maryland school districts recently united for the first time at Sankofa Children’s Museum of African Cultures. The gathering served as a welcome to an esteemed professional development program for outstanding leaders in education: The Arts…

Pink, green, and blue post-it notes cover a white board. The word 'mindfulness' is written at the top of the board in red letters. The post-it notes have the handwriting of many people and convey their thoughts about mindfulness.

Putting the “Teaching” in “Teaching Artist”

Our summer programs have ended, the school year is about to begin, and our teaching artists are ready to return to classrooms with more experience partnering with teachers and engaging students in joyful, creative, and academically strong lessons. Each year,…

School principals sit around a long white table covered in scissors and different papers. One principal is turned and smiling. Her glasses are resting on the top of her head.

Arts for Learning Maryland Receives NEA Funding for Principal Fellowship

Program Applications Now Being Accepted from Principals Arts for Learning Maryland is thrilled and honored to have been named a recipient of National Endowment For the Arts (NEA) Grants for Arts Projects funding to support its Principal Fellowship Program. The…

Katherine holding a sign that says,"voice" and standing next to Quynn, seated in a yellow jacket.

Arts for Learning Teaching Artists Engage Educators at UMBC Arts Integration Conference

Earlier this month, two teaching artists went back to school—but they weren’t guiding students through their creative, arts-integrated approach; this time, they were guiding educators! On October 1, the UMBC Arts Integration Conference brought together teachers, principals, district leaders, and…

Artists! Join the Summer Artists Corps to Become a Teaching Artist this Summer

Alert! Alert! We’re hiring practicing artists to transform student learning by using their art form in the classroom! Beginning in February, our paid Summer Artists Corps training program will guide artists through workshops, mentorships, shared experiences and personal reflection to…

Children on stage in a row striking a very dramatic pose

Arts & Learning Days: A Taste of Summer in the School Year

A whole-child approach to learning puts significant focus on the social and emotional needs of students. And as we’ve seen in our Summer Arts & Learning Academy (SALA), the arts and arts integration pair naturally with social and emotional learning (SEL).…

Innovative Program Brings Arts Integration to Early Childhood Education in Baltimore

Baby Artsplay!™ provides multi-sensory learning at Judy Centers with funding from Saul Zaentz Foundation BALTIMORE – Beginning this month, hundreds of Baltimore’s youngest children, their families, care providers, and educators will engage in hands-on, arts-integrated programs at five Baltimore City…

Principal Reese uses watercolor to create her wish banner at the Principal's Fellowship dinner

Meet the Principal: Monique Reese

In January 2020, Bay Brook Elementary Middle School will move into a 21st Century school building! Monique B. Reese, Principal of Bay Brook told us that along with the move, her school is adopting an arts integration model. During her first three…

The heel of Quynn's red and black tap shoes strikes the floor in the foreground. In the background, kindergardeners' tennis shoes imitate the dance step.

I Am Ready: Early Learning and the Arts

When Quynn Johnson steps into the Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms at Margaret Brent Elementary School in Baltimore City, she is met with hugs and big, bright smiles. The students love that they’ve been learning to tap with the artist and…

The Power of Community: Professional Development in the Arts

An inaugural Arts Integration Conference held at the Chesapeake Arts Center (CAC) showcased the strength and excellence of the Arts Empowered Minds Initiative (AEMI)‘s collective knowledge and resources. Over the course of the day, Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS)…

Spreading the Word

Teaching a subject through a new art form feels less daunting after not only seeing a successful idea modeled in a classroom setting, but actually participating in the learning as a student. At Community Arts: Connecting Neighborhoods and Classrooms, the 13th Annual…

Creative Collaborations for School Improvement: A New Leadership Unit Course for Baltimore City

In a course unlike any other, principals discover how partnerships with area arts and cultural resources can help schools prepare students for careers in fields related to the industry.