Educational Collaboration - Integrating The Arts

There has been a plethora of partnerships that have accumulated throughout my twenty plus years of teaching. Specific collaboration among my fellow teachers has been a common occurrence. The Second Grade Team needed a project to reinforce their Asian unit. Geography requirements were fused with art standards and an enjoyable project was born: warm and cool oriental fans. A third grade geography connection to art was made by creating a three dimensional topical map of the geography features of Georgia. These cross content connections underline the importance of partnerships among colleagues and with the benefits they bring to children these partnerships must be strengthened.
Community partnerships are equally as important. Some years ago, our partner in education, McMaster-Carr, commissioned some artwork from the art club, had the canvases framed and displayed them in their offices. They are still there today. Collaborating with Creating Pride/Arts Now the last two years has increased staff awareness of the importance of connecting the arts with their grade level standards.
I have collaborated with various community groups and the Physical Education Specialist Jeanne Mannings, at Adamsville Elementary School, on numerous occasions:
• To promote awareness of Fire Safety through annual Poster Contests.
• Recently received (September of this year) a $500.00 check from Atlanta Humane Society for hosting an Assembly Program and a Poster Contest to encourage good animal and pet care.
• Student artwork displayed at the downtown Atlanta library and Woodruff Art Center (before its renovation).
• As a Hands-On Atlanta Community Project, painted a large outdoor map of the USA to assist with physical education, math and geography activities.
• Displayed student art work at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Atlanta Airport.
• Assisted with poster contest for the NFL on “Staying In School”
• Adamsville students working with Sculptor Jeff Mather to create an outdoor sculpture.
• Working with the Adamsville community to paint a mural, beautify and promote positive attitudes in the neighborhood.
• Working with 11 Alive, painting a banner for them to use during one of their can-a-thon drives.
• Chief Managing Editor of the annual Adamsville Elementary School yearbook for the last seven years.
• Student art work selected to appear on local billboards promoting the arts and welcoming children of the world to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
In addition to the above, the field trips that I have taken to the High Museum and The Center for Puppetry Arts have provided my children direct contact with the “outside world” during school time. These community partnerships between school and cultural centers strengthen the bond between what happens in the classroom with what is occurring in real world venues; allowing children to see direct connections between classroom and culture.