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Kennedy Center Partners In Education

Arts education, the key to unlocking creativity in your students

The Partners in Education program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (KC-PIE) is designed to assist arts organizations throughout the nation to develop or expand educational partnerships with their local school systems. The primary purpose of these partnerships is to provide teachers with professional training in arts integration. 

The Kennedy Center defines arts integration as “an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form. Students engage in a creative process, which connects to an art form and another subject area and meets evolving objectives in both.” 

Currently, almost 100 Partnership Teams in nearly 40 states and the District of Columbia participate in the program. Wharton Center and Ingham Intermediate School District have been the Mid-Michigan Partnership Team since 2007. 

KC-PIE at Wharton

The relationship between Ingham Intermediate School District and Wharton Center Institute for Arts & Creativity began in 2007 and has been serving K-12 area teachers from across the district since then. The KC-PIE program is based on the belief that teachers’ professional learning is an essential component of any effort designed to increase the artistic literacy of young people. 

Each year a dedicated group of administrators, teaching artists, and classroom teachers are committed to expanding the role the arts play in classrooms. The KC-PIE program strives to support teachers in these efforts. 

For more information visit The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Education.

Information about the 2024-2025 program is coming soon.

 

This annual program for Ingham ISD and surrounding school districts invites preK-12 teachers and administrators to:

  1. Participate in an Arts Integration Summer Institute where educators and guest artists come together to deepen their understanding of arts integration.
  2. Become part of a Professional Learning Community and receive support from professionals and peers by sharing and learning about best practices in arts integration. 
  3. Work with an outstanding local teaching artist to design and implement an Arts Integrated Residency made uniquely for your classroom.

This summer, welcome multidisciplinary creative (actor, dancer, musician, and poet) Paige Hernandez as guest artist.

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