Arts Education Network News May 2004

In this Issue: ·      Common Gratitude ·      Funding o       SAP Grants ·      Technical Assistance o       Other grants o       Website of the Month ·      Resources o   CommonGround '04 o   TAP Grants Update

Common Gratitude
Thanks to the Arts in Education Community
The excitement and empowerment from another CommonGround conference has been released into the NYS Arts in Education community for another year. The staff at Partners for Arts Education have been overwhelmed with expressions of gratitude this past few weeks, and we feel the need to turn those expressions right back at you. While it is marvelous to recognize hard work, it is also critical to recognize REAL COLLABORATION. The collective "we" can really get things done when "we" all focus on our common ideals.

SO, keep on believing that the arts are at the core of learning, keep on sharing expressions of human achievement with each other, and keep on exploring new and uncharted paths for individual growth. We can all rest assured that our "Common Ground" will still exist when we need it.

Stay in touch, we want to know what you are doing with all of this energy!

Laura Reeder
Executive Director, Partners for Arts Education

Funding
SAP Grants
The next cycle of School Arts Partnership grants is coming up.  The application for these grants, which are awarded to schools, cultural organizations, and teaching artists for in-school partnerships in amounts up to $10,000, is available on our website (www.arts4ed.org).

Technical Assistance
Common Ground '04
The full, official report on Common Ground '04 will be published in next month's newsletter, and will also be available on-line at our website.  But we can tell you a few things from a quick survey of the evaluations.  Unofficially . . .

Some approximate demographics for conference attendees:
35% teaching artists
25% cultural organization representatives
25% educators
15% other        

Some positive evaluations:
Great networking
High quality of workshops and keynotes
Welcoming and professional staff
Field empowerment
High quality arts experiences                 

Some things to change:
More time to network
Longer and more varied workshop lengths
More representation from educators

We received evaluations from about 60% of conference attendees.  If you didn't fill out an evaluation, you can get one on our website at http://www.arts4ed.org/conference/Conference_Evaluation.htm .  We value your contribution, and the whole field will benefit from your input.

Please check out our updated conference slide show at
http://www.arts4ed.org/conference/slide_show_files/frame.htm. People have been sending us their photos to include. If you have digital photos of the conference that you would like to share, please email them to us.

TAP Grants Update
TAP (Technical Assistance Program) grants have long been the resource for extending your arts education partnership impact when specific needs arise. In the past few years, the TAP grant has been used for a variety of purposes. Many folks know to apply for TAP when they want to attend CommonGround, write a curriculum, evaluate a program, or obtain special training.

Partners for Arts Education has been administering this program for just under a year, and we are finding that the AIE field needs are changing. We have begun a formal needs analysis to define the best ways to disseminate these funds. Our orientation, application, adjudication, and evaluation processes will be more transparent and more efficient as a result.   

In the meantime, our website will maintain news and updates. By September (2004) you will be able to access TAP funds with minimum process and maximum impact. Stay tuned!

Resources
Other grants
Cash Grants Offered For Teachers Who Use American Music
For the sixth year, the National Music Foundation will award cash grants of up to one thousand dollars to teachers who create lesson plans using American music. The grants are awarded through the Foundation's American Music Education Initiative (AMEI).

The AMEI is a program designed to recognize and support teachers who use American music in their classrooms. It is open to teachers of any subject, in any grade K-12, and in any academic setting. It includes a competition for teachers, which rewards and acknowledges teachers who create outstanding lesson plans that use American music, and an on-line database of lesson plans that use American music, containing the competition's winning plans.

Lesson plans for any grade (K-12) and in any subject are eligible if they use American music. The plans are reviewed and evaluated by a distinguished panel of judges, who make awards at three levels: Finalist, Semi-finalist and Honorable Mention. Finalist teachers receive grants of $1,000; semi-finalist teachers receive grants of $500. All award-winning lesson plans are published in an on-line database (www.usamusic.org), where they are available for free to other teachers. Applications and guidelines are available on the Foundation's web site (http://www.usamusic.org/amei.html) . Completed applications must be received at the Foundation's office (2457A South Hiawassee Road, #244, Orlando, Florida 32835) by Friday, September 17, 2004 to be considered.  For further information contact Thomas J. Heany, Director of Programming, at 1-800-USA-MUSIC or tom@usamusic.org.    

Website of the Month
http://www.communityarts.net/
The Community Arts Network (CAN) promotes information exchange, research and critical dialogue within the field of community-based arts, that is, art made as a voice and a force within a specific community of place, spirit or tradition. The CAN web site provides a portal for news, information, dialogue and networking for people interested in community-based arts. It is edited and maintained by Art in the Public Interest.

The web site has three primary areas: API News - a monthly newsletter reporting items of interest in the field of community-based arts throughout the United States and elsewhere; The Reading Room - a searchable, categorized library of links, articles, essays and written materials about community-based arts; and
CAN Conversations - an online forum for anyone interested in sharing information, discussing ideas, and asking questions.

_____________________________________

Our staff is always available to help you!

Partners for Arts Education ~ Delevan Studio 221 ~ 501 West Fayette Street ~ Syracuse ~ NY ~ 13204

Partners for Arts Education inspires learning and leadership for arts-in-education in Central New York and throughout New York State. We provide funding and support to deepen and enrich educational experiences in and through the arts for students, teachers and artists.

The Arts Education Network News is a free service of Partners for Arts Education. All of our programs are made possible with public funds from the NYS Council on the Arts and individual sponsors.

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