(BURLINGTON, NJ) -- On April 27, 2023, Arts Ed NJ expanded its professional learning opportunities. With the launch of a new On-Demand Learning Hub, Arts Ed NJ continues to support high-quality professional learning in the field, as it has for almost 20 years. With the release of this self-paced, asynchronous course, arts educators throughout the state now have an opportunity to participate in an online learning community with other arts educators and supervisors of the arts.
Early enrollment is now open for the first course, Empowering Artists: Designing Student-Centered Learning Driven by the 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards in the Visual and Performing Arts and will continue through May 15, 2023. This course is ideal for all PK-12 arts educators, Arts Supervisors, and anyone responsible for ensuring the arts standards are taught with fidelity and in a manner that advances student identity, agency, and belonging.
“We are excited to offer this practical course, developed with five leading arts supervisors. The 2021 Arts Education Census revealed that only 70% of NJ school districts have an Arts Supervisor, and 49% of those supervisors have additional responsibilities for other subjects.,” said Arts Ed NJ’s Executive Director, Wendy Liscow. “The course will be invaluable for all districts, but will be especially critical in those districts without supervisors and those where additional Arts resources are needed. Additionally, we are so grateful to our funding partner, The MacMillan Foundation for their innovative spirit and support of this groundbreaking course.”
This new two-part course was designed to support educators and supervisors as they plan for holistic implementation of the 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards in the Visual and Performing Arts in ways that are impactful, meaningful, and equitable for students and our communities. The course offers districts a convenient, cost-effective, comprehensive, and timely learning solution, which will prepare educators to meet the needs of all students through transformational teaching and learning practices. Regular course price for individual enrollment, which includes access for 12 months, is $495. Early enrollment and group discounts will be offered.
To learn more about the Course Features and Frequently Asked Questions about this course, click here.
Through its collective impact model and ongoing relationships with key partners, Arts Ed NJ offers a full menu of learning opportunities throughout the year designed to engage educators, administrators, teaching artists, school board members, and other individuals that support a healthy arts education ecosystem. “We believe this two-part course can provide arts educators with a broad and deep understanding of the 2020 NJLS-VPA, so that holistic implementation of these learning standards provides students greater opportunity to explore their lived experiences more fully through the arts and develop essential communication and life skills needed to flourish”, shared Kira Rizzuto, Director of Learning Programs at Arts Ed NJ”.
“This course is a fantastic tool for teachers and administrators who are looking to deepen their knowledge of the 2020 NJSLS in Visual & Performing Arts. The self-paced and personalized nature of this program of study allows learners to explore and grow in a way and at a pace that works for them. Engaging in this course collaboratively is a great way for teams to develop a shared understanding and vision for arts learning in their school or district. This course will benefit individuals and teams who are interested in writing curricula that are meaningful to teachers and relevant to students. This is an excellent resource for anyone looking to empower their students and to help them develop their intellectual and expressive abilities” stated Dr. Kerri Sullivan, Supervisor of the Arts, K-12, Hamilton Township School District.
The course was developed in partnership with Eduscape, the New Jersey-based professional growth organization for K-12 educators, which provided instructional design and authoring services to develop the course. "We are honored and proud to support Arts Ed NJ in their mission to provide the highest quality arts education for every child by empowering arts educators to continue raising their practice. The team at Arts Ed NJ developed exemplary content and strategies that will support effective instruction of the arts across the K-12 curriculum." stated Alex Urrea, Founder and CEO of Educape.
Arts Ed NJ is the unified voice for arts education in New Jersey. Formerly the New Jersey Arts Education Partnership, Arts Ed NJ was founded in 2007 by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, New Jersey Department of Education and Music for All Foundation, with additional support from the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation. The mission of Arts Ed NJ is to provide a unified voice for a diverse group of constituents who agree on the educational benefits and impact of the arts, specifically the contribution they make to student achievement and a civilized, sustainable society. A major component of our work is the Arts Ed Now campaign which offers customizable grassroot tools to increase participation in arts education at a local level and garner public support to ensure every NJ child receives the quality arts education mandated by the state. Arts Ed NJ’s Arts Education and Social Emotional Learning Center supports the advancement of practices that are healing centered, culturally responsive, and grounded in the best practices offered by our social emotional learning framework. Additional information is available at www.artsednj.org, www.artsednow.org and www.artsedsel.org. The MacMillan Foundation provided funding for the launch of the On-Demand Learning Hub and this first course.
