VSA Ohio (VSAO) is pleased to announce that 16 schools in the state have been selected for the Adaptation, Integration and the Arts (AIA) residency program during the 2013-2014 school year. Included on the list are two Westerville elementaries – Hanby and McVay. Children at these buildings will be working with teaching artist Candace Mazur Darman. AIA partners teaching artists and educators in inclusive classrooms to enhance teaching and learning through an arts-integrated residency and curriculum. Residencies are academic content standards-based, utilize Universal Design for Learning strategies, cross all art mediums, and reach grades PreK-12. The primary goals are to improve academic achievement; better prepare students for life, work and post-secondary education; and better prepare educators to support learning and inclusion for students with disabilities. Research confirms that sustained access to arts and arts education opportunities have a greater impact on students of all ages. As such, Teaching Artists are in the classroom for a minimum of 40 hours and up to 100 hours. Residency sites also receive professional development trainings for the whole school which are led by the teaching artists. Each residency and training site represents an investment of approximately $4,000.
Adaptation, Integration and the Arts is supported by a grant from the Ohio Department of Education, Office for Exceptional Children, and a contract for services with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Administration is conducted with assistance from the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education and OhioDance. Schools are selected by a statewide application process, with deadlines throughout the year, and then matched with Teaching Artists.