Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Settling into Fall After an Eventful Summer!

The beginning of autumn is a unique time of year. It is when I usually experience a sort of summer nostalgia and spend my time reminiscing on activities and events that made the days go by too fast. I also find myself daydreaming about the wonderful changes that come with the new season.

As an intern at Hartford Performs, this transitional period involves preparing our 26 Hartford Performs schools for the new school year as well as settling back into daily routines after a summer filled with preparation for the 4th Annual Arts Integration Conference!

But before I go any further, I’d like to take a minute to introduce myself. My name is Denise Roberts and I became the Event Coordinator and Planner Intern at Hartford Performs in May of this year. I graduated in December of 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Professional Writing. Currently, I am in the process of obtaining a certificate in Nonprofit Management at Goodwin College. The vision of Hartford Performs aligns with my own belief that children in the Hartford community can develop into leaders and great thinkers if exposed to the appropriate resources.

What I find so wonderful about Hartford Performs’ approach is its ability to bring everyone in the community together to reach a common objective: to ensure that quality arts experiences are available to Hartford Public School students.

The Annual Arts Integration Conference is one of the events that highlight the togetherness of the Hartford Performs network. On August 21, I had the opportunity to take part in this amazing affair where teachers, artists, and several Hartford based organizations united for an Arts Integration learning experience. This experience included defining Arts Integration – which is the process of combining the arts with core curriculum such as English, Math, Science, and Social Studies – and highlighting practices that teachers can use in their classrooms.

Workshops from left to right: Learning on Their Feet, Moving Matters!, Exploring Art Masterpieces with Music and Poetry!, Nudging the Imagination, The Observant Eye
The Artists Collective (an organization that teaches the African Diaspora culture through dance, music, martial arts, etc.), for example, provided teachers with insight on how to give math and English an artistic twist through music and a Swahili/English ABC book called “Jambo Means Hello.”
I was thrilled to see over 200 hundred teachers from our six new schools (Burns, Global, Clark, Pre-K Magnet, Betances, and MGA at West Middle) participate in the 13 workshops that were available! And with the opportunity to join two workshops, I hope every teacher was able to leave the conference with numerous techniques to engage students and spark creativity.

The Arts Integration workshops were followed by what I can only describe as an Arts Provider Fair that made my visit to the carnival the week before less appealing. During this segment of the conference teachers were able to meet many of the artists that offer Arts Integration programs through Hartford Performs.

The days leading up to the event, I saw the XL Center’s lobby strictly as a place we had to somehow manage to fit 42 tables in. I must mention, previous to the Art Fair I visited the center only a few times for concerts, sports and the circus. So it was hard for me to imagine the hall as anything more than a place to purchase tickets.


Top: Bob Bloom & Doll E Daze
Bottom: Carol Glynn & Tom Hanford
Needless to say, I was completely in awe that Wednesday at the scene of teachers in search of the perfect program and beautiful displays from passionate artists. This festive meet-and-greet created for me the vision of a hopeful future for the 2013-2014 school year.

Speaking of the XL Center, I can’t forget to mention the complete layout of this year’s Arts Integration Conference Unlike in the past, the event took place in several well-known locations in Downtown Hartford. Attendees and Hartford Performs’ staff paraded anywhere from the Society Room to Sea Tea Improv Studios, the Old State House to the Hartford Stage Rehearsal Studios, or the Christ Church Cathedral Annex to Downtown Yoga. And by “paraded” I mean Hartford Performs’ staff frantically ran from building to building to guarantee that teachers were able to find the right site of their workshops.

At the end of the day, we had several teachers comment on how well organized the event was. I just remembering feeling grateful for their excitement and openness to this new structure. In addition to the teachers’ understanding, we were also able to maneuver so smoothly between buildings due to the staffs’ involvement and cooperation at each of the locations. Without them, I am not sure if we would have managed the day’s event without major complications.

Our appreciation also goes out to the 11 individuals who joined the Hartford Performs as temporary staff for the day. Thanks to them, we were able to have someone available every step of the way.

I must say, after several months of organizing the 4th Annual Arts Integration Conference and counting down the days until it happened, it is hard for me not to get excited recalling the event. But like I said, autumn is a time for change and I am proud to continue interning with Hartford Performs as we shift our attention to the 26 Hartford Performs schools!

At the beginning of September, we began the process of helping teachers choose programs for the school year. With a database filled with endless information to digest, we find it easier to meet face-to-face with teachers. I attended one of the meetings at E. B. Kennelly School and was amazed to see teachers, principals, and faculty members eager to book programs suitable to the needs and interests of their students. Many teachers came prepared with their top three choices. The school’s staff also worked together to discuss busing options and ideas for those programs that take place off of school grounds.

With only a few more schools to visit we are hoping that all 26 schools will have their programs within the next few weeks. We must express our gratitude for the Hartford Public Schools for their active participation in this process. It is a joy working with enthusiastic teachers and faculty members as we continue to expose Hartford Public Schools students to arts and engage them in a learning practice they will never forget!

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