art$TART Orientation, Project Sharing June 10
Anyone considering applying for an art$TART grant for the 2009 – 2010 school year is invited to an art$TART Grant orientation with PAE Grant Programs Director Sue Stonecash on Wednesday, June 10, 3:30 – 4:30 at Jowonio School, 3049 E. Genesee St., Syracuse. art$TART offers up to $2500 in matching funds for partnerships between teaching artists or cultural organizations and teachers at all public and private pre-K thru 12 schools in nine CNY counties.

After the orientation, from 4:30 – 6:00, all current art$TART grantees are invited to come and share the work they did this year. This is an excellent opportunity to connect with other local arts-in-ed practitioners, share your successes, and brainstorm with others about how to make your partnerships even better.  If you're thinking about applying for art$TART, this is a great way to see what it looks like in the classroom and benefit from the experience of other partnerships.

We are very pleased that Jowonio is hosting the gathering. They have implemented several successful art$TART grants, and have a lovely large group gathering room with wireless and a screen for projection of internet and powerpoints. A light supper will be served to those attending the project sharing.

Please RSVP to Sue by email or at 315.234.9911 if you will be attending.

Teaching Artists - Save the Date to Join Arts in Mind
Calling all Central New York teaching artists: 

Partners for Arts Education invites you to an orientation for the 2009-10 Arts In Mind school year. The session on June 8 from 10 am – 12 pm will include an overview of the Arts In Mind initiative with the Syracuse City Schools and guidelines for becoming an Arts In Mind teaching artist.

The initiative will be expanding into more schools next year, and educators are eager to bring teaching artists of all disciplines into their classrooms. Attendance at this meeting is one requirement for participation. Also, if you have not done it already, please fill out the online profile  to be included in the artist roster for 2009-10.  

Please contact Maureen by email or at 234.9911 to reserve your place at the orientation or with any questions you may have. General information about Arts In Mind can be found at: http://www.artsinmind.net/ .

TAP Grants for Summer Training
Thinking about getting some professional development in arts integration over the summer? Planning a partnership, but want some expert advice? Maybe your existing partnership is looking to improve its assessment, or develop new curriculum. A TAP grant might be just the ticket.

TAP supports the exchange of professional expertise to promote partnerships centered on teaching and learning in and through the arts that benefits pre-K through 12th grade children. Funding can be requested for technical assistance to strengthen your arts-in-education partnerships in: Partnership Planning and Collaboration; Arts-Integrated Curriculum Design; Program Evaluation and Student Assessment; and Professional Development and Capacity Building. Teachers, teaching artists, schools, or cultural organizations can apply. There are two deadlines for summer professional development, May 18 and July 1. Go to our website for more information.

Interns Bring Higher Ed into PAE
PAE has been deepening its relationships with local higher ed institutions and nurturing the next generation of arts professionals.

Kelli Pennington, a Syracuse University College of Visual & Performing Arts graduate student in photography and teaching artist at Franklin Arts Magnet School, collaborated with Grants Director Sue Stonecash. Kelli surveyed, interviewed and profiled artists, educators, and cultural partners from our NYS Technical Assistance Program to assess professional learning networks.

At SU's Newhouse School of Communications, Public Relations Professor Dennis Kinsey's graduate students engaged with PAE Director of Strategic Development Fran Hradil and marketing consultant Cookie Caloia. They created focus groups to generate innovative approaches to donor relation, and developed response cards and conducted individual interviews at CommonGround to help us construct a more effective website.

PAE also welcomed undergradute interns: Paroma Nandi from SU's Maxwell School helped with grantwriting; Jenna Dipalermo from LeMoyne worked at CommonGround and assisted with conference marketing and evaluation; and Rachel Bowers from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry worked on CommonGround evaluation  and office administration. Many thanks to all!

Opportunities
PAE interns, volunteers
If you're looking for a way to do something both fun and useful over the summer (or beyond), PAE has a number of opportunities both in our office and out in the field that will give you the chance to use and expand your skills. We’re eager to work with:
- A web content editor – As we develop our new website, we need to prepare content. (The pertinent skills are in writing, not technical ability.)
- TA apprentices for summer and school-year youth programs – if you're a dance, drama, visual, literary, music or media artist looking for experience in working with youth in education settings, we have places for you to plug in.

If you're interested, please contact Maureen by email or at 315.234.9911. Thank you!

Resources
Help for Parents for the Arts
Douglas Gould and Company commissioned research on behalf of the Ford Foundation to propel advocacy for arts in schools and arts integration. They wanted to determine what moves arts-oriented parents to act. As a result of their research, they have created "Parents for the Arts Advisory: Outreach that Resonates and Motivates," which outlines steps parents can take to make sure arts programs in their schools are supported. You can download it at http://tinyurl.com/cuxcru.

Using the Arts to Build Parent Involvement in Schools
Webinar - Building Parent Involvement in Schools through the Arts
Wednesday, May 13, 2009, 4:00 – 5:30 pm
Registration Deadline: Wednesday, May 13, 12:00 p.m.
More information: http://eo2.commpartners.com/users/afta/session.php?id=1999
If schools are to succeed in reaching every child academically, they need the support of a parent or primary caregiver to achieve this goal. This session will discuss the body of research that demonstrates how the arts can engage families in schools and discuss key strategies that are currently working in both public and charter schools.