the Partnership

What is the Gateway Arts in Education Partnership?

The Gateway Arts in Education Partnership forges dynamic collaborations between the educational and arts communities to bring the arts and arts-centered learning to students, educators and administrators. The Gateway Arts in Education Partnership is based upon the renowned Lincoln Center Institute model of arts integration in which a work of visual or performing art becomes a text for arts-based learning in many areas of the curriculum.

The Partnership begins with the Institute, a five-day, two-credit summer professional development course for educators held in Pittsburgh (dates and location varies). This training is followed by a school-year unit of study that includes an in-school performance or field trip and a four-day artist residency in the classroom.

Call 412.362.6982 to register.

What does the Partnership package include?

The Institute: Attendance for 3-5 teachers, administrators and/or arts specialists and Act 48 hours for teachers who complete requirements.

The Work of Art: Works of visual or performing art that will serve as the focus for a Unit of Study in the classroom.

The Unit of Study: Artist residency component—teaching artists plan with educators to co-teach workshops before and after the artistic experience with each educator, engaging the students in hands-on activities and making connections to other areas of the curriculum.

Professional Development: Gateway to the Arts offers a series of ongoing professional development workshops thoughout the year focusing on further exploration of concepts introduced at the Institute.

What is the cost?

Costs for participation in the Partnership vary based upon the number of teachers, specialists or administrators attending the Institute, number of classrooms receiving an artist-in-residence, the Work of Art chosen and availability of funding sources.

Tuition for the Institute is $265 per attendee. However discounts are available when multiple teachers or specialists attend from the same school. Gateway to the Arts will waive the tuition fee for a principal or administrator who attends as part of a team. Call 412.362.6982 for details. Teacher tuition fees are due by June 15, 2010.

"This is a rich and inspiring approach to learning. It is amazing to me to realize all that the students will find and contribute to the learning process given the opportunity provided through observation and discovery, experiential activities, reflection, cooperative learning."

– Cheryl Lane, Visual Arts teacher, Westinghouse Elementary School (East Allegheny School District)

The Unit of Study consists of a four-day artist residency in the classroom, plus a live performance or field trip and averages $350-$500 per classroom. Funding assistance may be available. The school will be invoiced prior to in-school workshops and performances.

How do I fund this program in my school?

PTA/PTO/PTG funds are often used to cover portions of the cost, such as a field trip, assembly program and/or artist residencies. Professional development may be covered by the school district. Schools that enter into a partnership with Gateway to the Arts may qualify for matching funds when they send teams of teachers in subsequent years. When districts commit to the program over multiple years, they often write the Partnership into the curriculum and budget for the costs in advance.

What does this process look like in the classroom?

Participating educators select a work of art to bring to their students during the school year in a unit of study. The Unit generally takes place over a period of several weeks and is comprised of a series of workshops that prepare students to experience the work of art. The workshops are team-taught using aesthetic education teaching strategies and include four teaching artist visits.

“The residency provided concrete evidence that the aesthetic process can be applied in all areas. The arts support the daily educational curriculum in a manner that weaves itself easily rather than an 'extra' period added to the school week. Students need to appreciate the arts and the residency shows that it can be done effortlessly. It also shows that the process benefits all students of all ages and abilities.”
– Marge Meighan, Title 1 Reading Specialist, Westinghouse Elementary School (East Allegheny School District)

Does the teaching artist design the unit of study?

No, a joint planning meeting is held a month prior to the start of the unit. All participating teachers and teaching artists revisit the work of art and brainstorm a line of inquiry or guiding question that will direct the exploration of the work of art. Activities are designed that will focus student attention on contextual research, how artists make choices and how these understandings relate to other aspects of life. Unit objectives and outcomes are determined in this meeting. Evaluations are administered at the end of each unit.

Do we receive additional resources?

Participating educators receive support from Gateway to the Arts during the year and during the unit of study process, including refresher “returning teacher” workshops, in-services focused on new works of art, administrative assistance in planning, music CDs or DVD recordings and "window on the work" teacher guides.

How do I enroll?

Educators may register for the Institute by downloading and submitting a registration form. Principals may also enroll a team of educators. A team of five teachers is ideal, but generally a minimum of three teachers per school is required in order to receive follow-up units of study in the classroom. The school principal should complete a letter of intent no later than June 1, 2010. Graduate teachers may participate in units of study in subsequent years as long as additional teachers from the building enroll in the program.

“From past experiences with Gateway, the students do make associations to other experiences in their lives, reflecting back on the study of the work of art. It is interesting what connections the kids make to the work of art as the year progresses. When we write about things we’ve learned at the end of the year, reflections always include Gateway projects!”
– Kay Heilman, 3rd grade teacher, Hance Elementary School (Pine-Richland School District)

Gateway Arts in Education Partnership

It starts with a work of art.

What does the Partnership package include?