An Arts Integration Institute, sponsored by the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County (United Arts), brought educators from Wake County back to the creative process of teaching, reinforcing that there are better ways to learn, think and retain information other than rote memorization and that teaching involving all the senses and integrates the arts creates a rich educational environment for students. The North Carolina Museum of Art cohosted the event.
Participating schools sent a team of four participants: an administrator, a classroom teacher, an arts teacher, and a parent volunteer. Practical, hands-on workshops on integrating the arts with the North Carolina curriculum requirements in all subjects, including science, literary arts, and social studies, were conducted by a comprehensive selection of professional teaching artists and NCMA staff. All workshops were drawn from the NC
SCOS and offeredr practical applications to classrooms from kindergarten through fifth grade.
| Five Wake County public schools participated: |
| Hodge Road Elementary |
Wake |
| Hunter Elementary |
Wake |
| Olds Elementary |
Wake |
| Wendell Elementary |
Wake |
| York Elementary |
Wake |
| |
| and four schools from other parts of the state also took part: |
| Parkwood Elementary |
Durham |
| Cameron Park Elementary |
Orange |
| Glendale-Kenly Elementary |
Johnston |
| River Mill Academy (charter school) |
Alamance |
The intensive five-day program was held June 19-23, 2006 at the NC Museum of Art (multiple locations, see schedule). Staff for the institute includes professional teaching artists, arts administrators from United Arts, NCMA, WCPSS and the Center for Educational Research and Evaluation at UNC-G.
Complete schedules of the Arts Integration Institute are available as well as a list of participating schools and workshop leaders. More detailed information about the institute and the workshops that were conducted are available by email from Ginny Zehr, Vice President for Education and Community Programs for United Arts,
.