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March 2016
Celebrating 18 years of Providing Equitable Access to Arts and Humanities Learning Opportunities

 

 

                 
Notes from the Executive Director
    
Lissa Rosenthal-Yoffe
Dear Friends,

Happy Spring Break! March came in like a lion and out like a lion-hearted champion for arts and humanities education in DC... your continued leadership, support and commitment to the arts and humanities for our District's youngest residents are a crucial component of our "Collaborative Effect."

Together, we celebrated March's Arts in Education Month with national Arts Advocacy Day and participated in several important arts education, collective impact and data symposiums. We were part of advocacy conversations during ArtsAction DC's Arts & Politics event with DC council members and their staff-- where we advocated for increased budget for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (a DC Collaborative partner,) as well as making sure education plays an important role in the District's Cultural Planning process. With the release of the Mayor's proposed budget, there are more opportunities for all of us to testify and share why the arts and humanities continue to be more integral to education than ever before. (Please see below for upcoming opportunities to testify before city council during Education and DC Commission hearings in April.)

This month, along with the Environmental Film Festival, we broke an all time Arts and Humanities for Every Student record with more than 3,000 students participating in one day! We were delighted to hold our second Professional Development Institute at The Kennedy Center where we learned about all of their new and exciting arts education initiatives, and we look forward to our third Professional Development installment with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities later this spring.

We kicked off our annual partnership with the National Cherry Blossom Festival Youth Art Contest with students participating from 22 DC public and public charter schools. The Community Art Show at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery remains open through April 19. Please take a moment and help the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative and the National Cherry Blossom Festival select a People's Choice Award winner. Online FaceBook voting opens April 4.

The DC Collaborative #StoryBank Blog March highlights include updates from the Center for Inspired Teaching, the Environmental Film Festival and a meet and greet with Raymond Mueller, DCPS Music Education Specialist. Please continue to share highlights about your organization, your student's experiences, quotes and testimony, photographs and artwork to help us showcase the Arts and Humanities for Every Student experience. Please share your stories by submitting your own entry to info@dccollaborative.org!
 
We are continuing to reinvigorate our community and reflect on the core values of the DC Collaborative members. Our Programming Committee met this month. Together, we will work on how we can assess and best support high-quality arts and humanities education opportunities for students and teachers with our members. We're delighted to announce that we've created program evaluation task-force groups and ask that you join. (More info below.)

Thanks for all you do on behalf of DC public and public charter school students and their educators,

lr-y.

Spring Members Meeting

    
Spring Members Meeting
Please Join Us
 
Celebrating Where We Live

Our Spring Members Meeting is dedicated to celebrating our members, teachers and partners who have come together throughout this year to provide thousands of DC public and public charter students with quality arts and humanities education programs. Here from: DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, National Building Museum, DC Public Schools... and many others!
 More detail to come in the following weeks!

Date: Friday, June 6, 2016

Time: 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
Come at 3p.m. to see the National Building Museum's Investigating Where We Live exhibition

Location: The National Building Museum
401 F St NW, Washington, DC 20001
Judiciary Square Metro Station (Red Line)


Advocacy Opportunities

 
 

DC City Council Oversight Hearings
Three Opportunities to Support Arts and Humanities Education by Providing Testimony at DC City Council Hearings.

As you know it's FY17 budget time...Following are some upcoming budget oversight hearings on the DC City Council Calendar where you may want to provide testimony in support of the Commission and increased funding for arts and humanities education for DC Public Schools and the DC Public Charter School Board. Together, let's ask City Council, and Mayor Bowser to:
  • Increase support to the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
  • Make sure that the upcoming Culture Plan includes more than just data for arts and humanities education.
  • Value and importance of arts and humanities in the education of DC students and their educators by increasing support across agencies.
1.) BUDGET OVERSIGHT HEARING: COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Tuesday, 4/12/2016 10:00am, Room 123
 
Budget Oversight Hearings on Fiscal Year 2015-2016. The Committee on Education will hold a Budget Oversight Hearing. The following agencies will testify:
  • Public Charter School Board, State Board of Education
Persons wishing to testify about the performance of any of the foregoing agencies may do so online at: http://bit.ly/EdOversight16 or by calling 202-724-8061.
 
2.) BUDGET OVERSIGHT HEARING: COMMITTEE ON FINANCE & REVENUE
Wednesday, 4/13/2016 10:00am, Room 500
 
Budget Oversight Hearings on Fiscal Year 2015-2016
  • Commission on the Arts and Humanities
Persons wishing to testify about the performance of any of the foregoing agencies may contact: Sarina Loy, sloy@dccouncil.us or by calling 202-724-8058.
 
 
3.) BUDGET OVERSIGHT HEARING: COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Thursday, 4/14/2016 10:00am, Room 412
 
Budget Oversight Hearings on Fiscal Year 2015-2016. The Committee on Education will hold a Budget Oversight Hearing.The following agency will testify:
  • District of Columbia Public Schools
Persons wishing to testify about the performance of any of the foregoing agencies may do so online at: http://bit.ly/EdOversight16 or by calling 202-724-8061.

DC Membership and Programming Committee

 
 

Programming Committee Meeting
Please join a task-force to assist us in program evaluation

The DC Collaborative Programming Committee is looking for volunteers to assist in evaluating the quality and equity of arts and humanities education programs in the community. The Committee is developing an evaluation rubric and other assessment tools, by discipline and has elected to create related program evaluation task-force groups to support their work.

Program Evaluation Taskforce Groups:
  • Music
  • Visual Arts
  • Theatre/ Drama/ Puppetry/ Storytelling 
  • Dance Media/ Film/ Photography/ Music Production 
  • Literary Arts
  • Social Studies/ History/ Geography

We need your assistance in creating these evaluation/assessment methods that will be a resource for the entire community.

Kennedy Center Update

 
 

Kennedy Center Logo  

Kennedy Center Education Division 
Listening Tour, April 2-21, 2016
Participate in The Kennedy Center Education Division's strategic planning process by giving your feedback at listening tours.

The Kennedy Center wants to hear your voice, your thoughts as they create your National Performing Arts Center that is accessible to all people, all ages, and all art forms. What is your vision for a 21st Century performing arts center? How can the Kennedy Center Education Division best serve your community and needs?

These are FREE events, no tickets required. Questions? Call (202) 416-8835. Register here.

Saturday, April 2, 2016, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Convergence, Sanctuary
1801 N. Quaker Lane
Alexandria, VA 22302

Thursday, April 7, 2016, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
THEARC: Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus,Community Meeting Room
1901 Mississippi Ave SE
Washington, D.C. 20020

Thursday, April 14, 2016, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Northwestern High School, Auditorium
7000 Adelphi Rd
Hyattsville, MD 20782

Thursday, April 21, 2016, 12:30-2:30 p.m.
The Kennedy Center, Atrium
2700 F Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20566

More information is available here.


DCPS Update

 
 

DCPS 

DCPS Arts Update
Meet the Music Education Specialist at DC Public Schools
Meet the Music Education Specialist at DC Public Schools
Submitted by Tracey Wyton, DC Collaborative; with Raymond Mueller, DC Public Schools
March 30, 2016

 Meet Raymond Mueller, the Music Education Specialist for DC Public Schools
As the Music Education Specialist, Raymond supports K-12 music teachers with a particular focus on curriculum, professional development, and connecting DCPS music programs with the many cultural institutions in and around the District. Raymond also looks forward to showcasing the DCPS music ensembles at the DCPS Music Festival to be held at the Kennedy Center this spring.

Raymond's Background
Music education and music composition have been at the forefront of Raymond's life from a very early age. As a pianist, vocalist, and composer, a career in music was without a doubt. Raymond moved to Virginia after college to begin teaching general music and choir for Fairfax County Public Schools. Concurrently he directed and accompanied an adult choral ensemble that premiered countless original works of his. Raymond continuously sought out leadership opportunities to make sure that a creative music education was available to as many students as possible. One such opportunity included a leadership summit that encouraged all participants to courageously take chances and resist the temptation to simply retreat to the comfort of 'what has always been done'. Upon returning from this conference he began his journey that ultimately led him to DC Public Schools.

Why Raymond Supports the DC Collaborative
The DC Collaborative is at the very heart of what he believes in; providing an equitable Arts education for ALL students. Long before Raymond moved to this area he was aware of the stellar reputations of the DC Collaborative members. He values the central link that the DC Collaborative provides to students and knows how these transformative learning opportunities can forever benefit and enhance their lives.

Most Memorable Field-trip Experience
Growing up on Long Island allowed for many frequent field trips to area theaters in and around New York City. These trips all stand out vividly in Raymond's mind; the buildings, music, performers, scenery, costumes, and orchestrated cohesion provided a lasting mental framework for him to build upon.

More About Raymond
Raymond has a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education, and a Master's Degree in Music Composition from George Mason University. His Master's recital debuted his original libretto and opera A Lonely Heart, based on the true-life story of Mary Shelley and her novel Frankenstein. Raymond continues to compose for Choral and Orchestral ensembles with a new opera in the works. He attributes his musical career to a supportive family, and an encouraging education system.

Contact Information
You can reach Raymond at raymond.mueller@dc.gov.

#StoryBank Blog Highlights

 
 

 DC Collaborative #StoryBank Blog March Highlights
Check out the DC Collaborative #StoryBank Blog March Highlights!

3,000 DC Students Go 19,000 Feet Up Mt. Denali with the Environmental Film Festival
Submitted by: Nicholas Kelly, DC Collaborative Program Intern 
March 3, 2016

On March 2, the DC Collaborative partnered with the Environmental Film festival to send 3,000 students to a film screening at DAR Constitution Hall through the Arts for Every Student (AFES) program. The students came on 62 buses from 50 schools all over DC, and they came prepared to engage with the film: An American Ascent, about a group of African-American mountaineers climbing Denali, the tallest mountain in North America.

It was clear right from the start that the students were invested in this documentary. They cheered and applauded at every advance the climbers made up the mountain, at the awe-inspiring mountain vistas, and at the inspiration the climbers drew from the words of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to pursue their dreams in a field lacking diversity.

The film also had a special significance for this Washington, DC audience. Tyhree Moore, one of the climbers, is a Southeast DC native who graduated from SEED Public Charter School. His appearance onscreen inspired perhaps the biggest cheer of the screening, and when he injured himself during the climb and faced the possibility of turning around, the sympathy and tension in the room was palpable.

As a special treat, Tyhree attended the screening and appeared onstage with the director to take questions from the audience. The students asked great questions, including why the climbers needed to bury their food in ice, how Tyhree became involved with the expedition, and how he has applied his mountaineering experience to his everyday life.

Center for Inspired Teaching: celebrating 20 years of building a better school experience for students through transformative teacher training
Submitted by: Aleta Margolis, Founder and Executive Director, Center for Inspired Teaching
March 22, 2016

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Center for Inspired Teaching, we asked Aleta Margolis, their founder and executive director (and a former board member of the DC Collaborative,) to share with us her impressive history of building a better school experience for students through Center for Inspired Teaching's transformative teacher training which uses methods from improvisational theater to help K-12 public school teachers breathe new life into daily classroom instruction and lessons. Here's their story...

Center for Inspired Teaching, an education group that I founded 20 years ago, uses methods from improvisational theater to help K-12 public school teachers breathe new life into daily classroom instruction and lessons.

At the first Inspired Teaching Institute in 1996, which I co-designed with my friend and colleague Oran Sandel at the Living Stage Theater, one of our key goals was for teachers to embrace their role as changemakers and Instigators of ThoughtŪ . Inspired Teaching has continued this work over the past 20 years through programs that train teachers to create student-centered projects that challenge students to think creatively and independently about real world problems and solutions.

National Cherry Blossom Festival

 
 

National Cherry Blossom Festival Registered Logo
National Cherry Blossom Festival Youth Art Contest
Presented with the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative

The DC Collaborative and the National Cherry Blossom festival would like to extend congratulations to the winners and contest participants in the 2016 National Cherry Blossom Youth Art Contest and Community Art Show. We received 187 pieces of wonderful artwork from 34 schools in the District. The Community Art Show is open to everyone and will be up in the Pepco Edison Place Gallery Mondays-Fridays, 12-4 until April 19.
 
WINNERS

K-2nd Grade Category
  • 1st Place Diego Ford - Latin American Montessori Bilingual PCS, Teacher- Marta Perez-Garcia 
  • 2nd Place Zimiere Allen - Amidon-Bowen Elementary,Teacher- Greta Schorn
  • 3rd Place Lucy Crino - Fillmore Arts Center/Key Elementary, Teacher- Amy Heilman
3rd - 5th Grade Category
  • 1st Place Mary Ellen Youtcheff - Fillmore Arts Center/Key Elementary, Teacher- Sally Tsou-Yick
  • 2nd Place Robert Price IV - Watkins Elementary,Teacher- Claire Reintgen
  • 3rd Place Aiden Holdren - Fillmore Arts Center/Key Elementary, Teacher- Tiik Pollet
6th - 8th Grade Category
  • 1st Place Amy Baskurt - DC International School,Teacher- Adam Reinhard
  • 2nd Place Dai'Quan Word - Kelly Miller Middle School,Teacher- Sylvia Ewing
  • 3rd Place Ever Torres - DC Prep Edgewood Middle School Campus, Teacher- Kyle Barrett
9th-12th Grade Category
  • 1st Place Myiah Smith - SEED PCS of Washington DC,Teacher- Kamala Subramanian
  • 2nd Place Brianna Brown  - SEED PCS of Washington DC, Teacher- Kamala Subramanian
  • 3rd Place Michael Thomas - National Collegiate Prep PCS, Teacher- William Joines
COMMUNITY ART SHOW
Submissions will be showcased in a Community Art Show at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery from Tuesday, March 22 - Tuesday, April 19, 2016.
Location: 702 Eighth Street NW
Hours: Tuesday-Friday, Noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

With Gratitude...


 
 

With Gratitude...
 We really appreciate the support of all of our board members, donors, members, teachers, partners and volunteers for bringing our mission to life and ensuring that all students have equitable access to the arts and humanities education resources in Washington, D.C.
Special thanks to all of our Smile Campaign supporters with special gratitude to our dedicated Board of Directors who continue to go over and beyond to ensure its success!

Linda Donovan Harper, President
LHarper &Associates

Dorothy Pierce McSweeny, Vice President 
Chair Emeritus, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities

Nik Apostolides, Vice President 
U.S. Capitol Visitor Center

Susan Rosenbaum, Treasurer
Rosenbaum & Associates

Susana Florian, Secretary
Corporate Strategy Business Development Consultant
 
Gerald Boyd, Sr. Ed.D., DB Consulting
Sarah Durkee, National Gallery of Art
Cher Castillo Freeman, Sky Real Estate
David J. Ferrero, Paul G. Allen Family Foundation
Chris Jennings, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Aranthan "AJ" Jones, Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Jeanette McCune, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Greg McGruder, National Geographic Society
Jordan Monroe, The Monroe Trust Real Estate Group
Gail Murdock, Peabody Early Childhood Center
Patricia Pride, Hardy Middle School, DCPS

Ways to Give


 
 

Ways to Give

To donate to the DC Collaborative online by credit card click here  or by check to:

DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative 
1825 K Street NW Ste 400
Washington, DC 20006

Are you a government employee? Give through the CFC Catalogue of Caring. 
We're on pg. 20 CFC#66894

Does your company have a matching gift program? Let us know!
 





 
About the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative:
More than 100 members strong, the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative (DC Collaborative) provides equitable access to quality arts and humanities education for all DC public and chartered public schools for the growth of the whole child. Working with its partners, since its founding in 1998, the DC Collaborative produces such exemplary programs as Arts for Every Student and the Professional Development Initiative. View our Member Directory.

For more information on the DC Arts and Humanities 

Education Collaborative, Please visit our website.

If you would like to include something in our next 
member e-news, please email us!

Submissions for our consideration are due C.O.B. on the third Friday of every month and are subject to edits by the DC Collaborative staff.
 
 
 
DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative
1825 K Street, NW, Suite 400
Washington, D.C. 20006
p. (202) 587-1627
 
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