Collaborative Integrated Arts Residencies

“The impact first struck me was last year when [the teaching artist] was here for the first time. There was a student who wouldn’t even go into the classroom. At the end of the lesson, they had a parade… that [the student] led. And this was a student who [previously] wouldn’t even go into the classroom.”

Classroom Teacher

In our Collaborative Integrated Arts Residencies, highly trained teaching artists work directly with teachers in school settings to integrate the arts into the curriculum to support social and emotional development for reluctant and reactive learners. The arts activities connect directly to the curriculum and celebrate each child’s authentic voice through creative expression.

The program uses the arts to bring unconditional positive regard, mindfulness, Universal Design for Learning, and deep collaboration with classroom teachers to the learning environment. Through these methods, students who often find it difficult to engage in a traditional classroom setting build meaning, connection, and belonging to their community and the larger world.

The program’s goals are:

  • for students to feel pride and see themselves as artists
  • to provide opportunity for children to demonstrate their knowledge and show how clever, creative, and smart they truly are
  • to provide individuals an additional and sometimes new point of entry to a community and feel a sense of belonging.

“The program gives each of those kids something they can be successful at. And you can’t help but be impacted by them being successful, seeing what that success looks like, wanting to be part of that success moving forward, whether that be art or anything else…so that changed how I viewed some of the students.”

Classroom Teacher, 2017

For more information on Collaborative Integrated Arts Residencies, or to learn more about implementing the program at your school, contact Heidi Swevens, Director of Community Partnerships.

A logo with a small black image of two shapes. The writing says, "VSA The Kennedy Center/THis program is provided under a contract with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts/2020-2021."

A student holds up a piece of artwork, covering their face and body. The painting is on a canvas, made up varying shades of blue. A yellow circle resembling a sun rests in the upper right corner. In transparent white paint, the word "wild" reaches across the top third of the piece.
A student holds up a piece of artwork, covering their face and body. The painting is on a canvas, made up varying shades of blue. A yellow circle resembling a sun rests in the upper right corner. In transparent white paint, the word “wild” reaches across the top third of the piece.
Two hands enter the frame, moving a brush inside a shallow cardboard box. There is a layer of thick purple paint that the artist scratches away, revealing abstract shapes of pink, blue, purple, and yellow.
Two hands enter the frame, moving a brush inside a shallow cardboard box. There is a layer of thick purple paint that the artist scratches away, revealing abstract shapes of pink, blue, purple, and yellow.
In this piece of artwork from the program, we view a gray background with splatters of pastel colors in blue, green, purple, yellow, and pink. At the bottom is a black circle.
In this piece of artwork from the program, we view a gray background with splatters of pastel colors in blue, green, purple, yellow, and pink. At the bottom is a black circle.