- CONFERENCE: NOV 8-10, 2007
PRE-CONFERENCE INSTITUTES: NOV 7, 2007 - REGISTRATION
Breakout Session Topics
(Click on headings for more details.)
Program, Evaluation & Research Track
Sponsored by the Wallace Foundation
Curriculum Development in Community Arts Education: Thursday, Nov. 8, 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM
Family and Community Engagement in Arts Education: Thursday, Nov. 8, 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
How Local Systems of Arts Education Deliver High-Quality Arts Learning (RAND): Friday, Nov. 9, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Qualities of Quality: Excellence in Arts Education and How to Achieve It: Friday, Nov. 9, 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Qualities of Quality: Tools for Decision-Makers: Friday, Nov. 9, 4:15 PM - 5:45 PM
Program Design for Arts Education: Saturday, Nov. 10, 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Research and Evaluation of Arts Education Programs: Saturday, Nov. 10, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
The Body as a Bridge: Tools for Moving Towards Community Practices: Saturday, Nov. 10, 4:45 PM - 6:00
Partnership Track
Sponsored by MetLife Foundation
Sessions in the Partnership Track are sequential. While it is not essential that participants attend all sessions, it is recommended.
How Local Systems of Arts Education Deliver High-Quality Arts Learning (RAND): Friday, Nov. 9, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Characteristics of Sustainable Partnerships: Friday, Nov. 9, 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Taking Stock: Understanding How Partnering Can Benefit Your Organization: Friday, Nov. 9, 4:15 PM - 5:45 PM
Case Studies from Partnerships in the LA Area: Saturday, Nov. 10, 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Planning for Partnerships: The Long View: Saturday, Nov. 10, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Building Strong Partnerships Through Clear Communication: Saturday, Nov. 10, 3:15 PM - 4:30 PM
Solving Partnership Problems: Saturday, Nov. 10, 4:45 PM - 6:00 PM
Effective Business Practices for Community Arts Organizations: Thursday, Nov. 8, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Making Your Case: Research to Bolster Grants, Planning, and Advocacy: Thursday, Nov. 8, 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM
Leading With Your Best Self: Thursday, Nov. 8, 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM
Leading with Limited Authority: Friday, Nov. 9, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Strengthening Our Strongest Muscle, The Teaching Artist: Friday, Nov. 9, 2:30 PM - 5:45 PM
Getting the Right Board on Board: Saturday, Nov. 10, 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
The Unbearable Lightness of Planning: Saturday, Nov. 10, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Changing our Corporate Organizational Climate to Foster Inclusion and Diversity: Saturday, Nov. 10, 3:15 PM - 4:30 PM
Organizational Assessment: News You Can Use, Measuring What Matters, And What to Do After Getting the Results: Saturday, Nov. 10, 4:45 PM - 6:00 PM
The A to Z Grantwriting Workshop: Thursday, Nov. 8, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
News from the NEA: Thursday, Nov. 8, 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM
Recruiting Students: Thursday, Nov. 8, 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
Reaching Potential Students: Marketing on the Internet: Friday, Nov. 9, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Marketing 101: Creating the Plan: Friday, Nov. 9, 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Branding 101: Understanding Branding and How It Can Directly Affect Your Place in the Community: Friday, Nov. 9, 4:15 PM - 5:45 PM
Asking Individuals to Give: Part 1: Saturday, Nov. 10, 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Asking Individuals to Give: Part 2: Saturday, Nov. 10, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Asking Individuals to Give: Part 3: Saturday, Nov. 10, 3:15 PM - 4:30 PM
Philanthropic Warfare! Developing Your Capital Campaign: Saturday, Nov. 10, 4:45 PM - 6:00 PM
Community School Registration/Management Software: Thursday, Nov. 8, 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
Early Childhood Showcase: Friday, Nov 9, 10:30 AM - 12 Noon
Clavinova Connection Showcase: Reaching New Audiences: Friday, Nov. 9, 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Learning Without Borders: Friday, Nov. 9, 4:15 PM - 5:45 PM
Creating Theater with and for Community: Saturday, Nov. 10, 11:30 AM–1:00 PM
Maximizing Your Relationship with the National Guild: Thursday, Nov. 8, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Conference Orientation: Thursday, Nov. 8, 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM
Plenary Session & Chike Nwoffiah Keynote Address: Friday, Nov. 9, 7:45 AM – 10:15 AM
Roundtables
Long Term Leaders Roundtable: Thursday, Nov. 8, 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
Collegiate-Divisional Roundtable: Friday, Nov. 9, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Divisional-Program/School Roundtable: Friday, Nov. 9, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Medium-Size School Roundtable: Friday, Nov. 9, 4:15 PM – 5:45 PM
Roundtable for Directors of Large Independent Community Arts Schools: Saturday, Nov. 10, 9:15 AM - 11:15 AM
Visual Arts Roundtable: Saturday, Nov. 10, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Small School Roundtable: Saturday, Nov. 10, 3:15 PM – 4:30 PM
Saturday, Nov. 10, 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Arts in the Juvenile Justice System
Community Arts Centers
Community Arts Education in Small Towns & Rural Communities
Dance
Development Directors & Fund Raisers
Facility Planning & Development
Financial Aid & Scholarship Programs
JW Pepper Early Childhood Programs
Marketing Early Childhood Programs
Media Arts
Performing Arts Centers
Organizational Assessment & Accreditation
Starting a Community School of the Arts
Theater Arts
Working with Special Needs Students
Descriptions of Breakout Sessions
Program, Evaluation & Research Track
Sponsored by the Wallace Foundation
Curriculum Development in Community Arts Education: Thursday, Nov. 8, 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM
Jan Kirsch, Director of Professional Development, Inner-City Arts, Los Angeles, CA
There are many different approaches to curriculum development. How do you support artists (or yourself, if you are the teaching artist) in developing a curriculum that is from the passion of the artist, is in alignment with the core values of the organization and best serves the needs of a particular constituency? How do artists gain inspiration and motivation to seek further knowledge, strategies and tools to deepen and broaden the work of a teaching artist? This session will focus on a process that identifies points of connection between community arts organizations, the artists who deliver services and the organization's constituency for developing a curriculum that answers these questions.
Family and Community Engagement in Arts Education: Thursday, Nov. 8, 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
Greg McCaslin, Senior Program Consultant, Center for Arts Education, New York, NY
Heather Mangrum, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Center for Arts Education
The Center for Arts Education’s Parents As Arts Partners (PAAP) grant program has funded innovative programs for New York City public schools, to work in partnership with nationally renowned and locally focused cultural organizations to engage parents and families in arts activities. An outgrowth of this work is ‘hybrid’ programming whereby community arts organizations create parent engagement programs at both school and community arts organization sites. In this session, we will learn from the experience of community schools of the arts which have developed family arts education program with the support of PAAP grants. Participants will learn:
• How to engage parents and families through arts programming at both public school and community arts organization sites—‘hybrid’ programming
• How to link community arts and K-12 school arts programming
• Understand the benefits and difficulties that emerge when undertaking community and family engagement through the arts
How Local Systems of Arts Education Deliver High-Quality Arts Learning (RAND): Friday, Nov. 9, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Catherine H. Augustine, Ph.D., Behavioral Scientist, RAND Education, Santa Monica, CA
Introduction: Daniel Windham, Director, Arts Programs, Wallace Foundation, New York, NY.
Moderator: Ann Stone, Senior Officer, Research and Evaluation, Wallace Foundation, New York, NY
Panelists: Mark Slavkin, Vice President for Education, Music Center of Los Angeles
Scott Ward, Executive Director, Armory Center for the Arts
Maria Casillas, President, Families in Schools
Richard Burrows, Director of Arts Education, LA USD
RAND Education is conducting a study to describe, compare, and contrast six local system-wide attempts to build and/or improve local arts education provision for children. The study is examining how collaborative and coordinated system-wide efforts develop, aspire toward, deliver, and sustain high-quality arts learning experiences across local geographic areas. Looking at emerging systems in New York, Dallas, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Alameda County (CA), RAND Education researchers review ways local arts systems deal with the challenges and opportunities within their environments and creatively address the diversity of organizational cultures and missions. The focus is on community based, system-wide approaches that are reputed to produce important outcomes and results. Based on the case study analyses, RAND is developing concepts for important interactions among the components of well-functioning local arts education systems. These can demonstrate processes by which organizations can work to enhance arts education in communities.
Qualities of Quality: Excellence in Arts Education and How to Achieve It: Friday, Nov. 9, 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Steve Seidel, Director, Harvard Project Zero & HGSE Arts in Education Program;
Shawna Flanigan, Director of Arts Education at the Center of Creative Arts (COCA), St. Louis, MO
Jordan Simmons, Artistic Director, East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, Richmond, CA
Ben Donenberg, Founder and Producing Artistic Director of Shakespeare Festival, Los Angeles, CA
Introduction by Jonathan Herman, Executive Director, National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, New York, NY
Project Zero, at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, is conducting a study to synthesize current thought about what constitutes high quality arts learning and teaching and how to achieve and sustain quality in diverse arts education settings with school-aged youth. The study explores how arts educators define and strive to create high quality arts learning experiences for children and youth, both in and out of school. It includes a review of relevant literature, interviews with leaders and key informants in arts education and 12 site-based studies. The sites studied include urban, suburban and rural in-school and out-of-school programs reaching grades K-12. All of the major art forms have been included. The study will offer a set of “tools” that will provide conceptual and practical assistance those who wish to understand, establish, expand, and/or improve arts learning experiences for young people. The report is aimed at decision-makers positioned to create or sustain arts learning opportunities for children and youth in any community in the United States. In this session, Steve Seidel, one of the authors of the report, will share major findings. In addition, representatives of three of the programs studied will share their perspectives on the findings.
Qualities of Quality: Tools for Decision-Makers: Friday, Nov. 9, 4:15 PM - 5:45 PM
Steve Seidel, Director, Harvard Project Zero & HGSE Arts in Education Program
Researchers at Harvard's Project Zero have conducted a two-year study of how arts educators think about and strive to achieve and sustain high-quality arts learning experiences for school-age youth. In this session, Steve Seidel will focus on findings from the study that highlight the kinds of decisions that influence quality, who makes those decisions, and some features of effective decision-making processes. He will share tools developed as a result of the study and provide time for participants to examine, explore, and raise questions about the tools.
Program Design for Arts Education: Saturday, Nov. 10, 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Jan Norman, National Director of Education, Research & Professional Development, Young Audiences, New York NY
Larry Stein, Director, Interactive Media & Arts for Learning, Newhall CA
This participatory session will explore fundamentals and innovative strategies for the design of diverse arts education programs that range from those exclusively focused on the arts to various levels for Arts Integration. Examples will include four levels for Arts Integration, to compare the differences, benefits and challenges of each. Participants will experience a sample of an integrated arts approach to literacy used in Arts for Learning Lessons followed by a discussion on effective strategies for How People Learn in and through the arts. Programs will include in-school, out-of-school, after-school, and community school applications for all ages and different populations. Participants will work in small groups to experience and better understand strategies for arts program design.
Note: This is the first of two related sessions and while it is not essential that participants attend both to benefit from the content, there is a progressive relationship that will lead to deeper knowledge and skills.
Research and Evaluation of Arts Education Programs: Saturday, Nov. 10, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Jan Norman, National Director of Education, Research & Professional Development, Young Audiences, New York NY
Larry Stein, Director, Interactive Media & Arts for Learning, Newhall CA
This session will demystify research and evaluation of arts education programs by sharing practical strategies and tools that support planning and assessment for program improvement. Included will be case studies and hands-on experiences using an assortment of tools such as the YA Rubric for Teaching Artists and examples of embedded assessments that are part of arts instruction. Each of these tools can be adapted to a variety of arts education program designs (as introduced in the session on program design). Research will be explored for its value in program planning, implementation, improvement, evaluation and advocacy. Tips and guidance will be offered on choosing the appropriate scale and methods of research to support your program, fund-raising and advocacy goals.
Note: Although it is not essential that participants attend the previous session on Program Design to benefit from this session, there is a relationship between designing effective programs and how they are assessed, revised, improved, and supported through research and evaluation.
The Body as a Bridge: Tools for Moving Towards Community Practices: Saturday, Nov. 10, 4:45 PM - 6:00 PM
Liz Lerman, Founding Artistic Director, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Tacoma Park MD
This workshop will be a quick tour of tools that have evolved through thirty years of working with dancers of all ages and in many diverse settings. We will examine how leading and following serve a creative purpose, how subject matter can be approached through dance, research and observation, and how the big and little stories of our lives can be made into a collective dance experience.
Partnership Track
Sponsored by MetLife Foundation
Sessions in the Partnership Track are sequential. While it is not essential that participants attend all sessions, it is recommended.
How Local Systems of Arts Education Deliver High-Quality Arts Learning (RAND): Friday, Nov. 9, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Sue Bodilly and Panel
RAND Education is conducting a study to describe, compare, and contrast six local system-wide attempts to build and/or improve local arts education provision for children. The study is examining how collaborative and coordinated system-wide efforts develop, aspire toward, deliver, and sustain high-quality arts learning experiences across local geographic areas. Looking at emerging systems in New York, Dallas, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Alameda County (CA), RAND Education researchers review ways local arts systems deal with the challenges and opportunities within their environments and creatively address the diversity of organizational cultures and missions. The focus is on community based, system-wide approaches that are reputed to produce important outcomes and results. Based on the case study analyses, RAND is developing concepts for important interactions among the components of well-functioning local arts education systems. These can demonstrate processes by which organizations can work to enhance arts education in communities.
Characteristics of Sustainable Partnerships: Friday, Nov. 9, 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
David O'Fallon, President, MacPhail Center for Music, Minneapolis MN
Beth Vogel, Consultant, New York NY
Through an interactive discussion, participants will discover how defining clear intentions, commitments and structures make for sustainable partnerships.
Taking Stock: Understanding How Partnering Can Benefit Your Organization: Friday, Nov. 9, 4:15 PM - 5:45 PM
David O'Fallon, President, MacPhail Center for Music, Minneapolis MN
Beth Vogel, Consultant, New York NY
In this working session participants will begin to assess their own and their partner’s assets and needs, and learn how to use partnerships to benefit their organization and community.
Case Studies from Partnerships in the LA Area: Saturday, Nov. 10, 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
David O'Fallon, President, MacPhail Center for Music, Minneapolis MN
Beth Vogel, Consultant, New York NY
Scott Ward, Executive Director, Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena CA
Jonathan Zeichner, Co-Director, Inside Out Community Arts, Venice CA
Glenna Avila, Community Arts Partnership Director, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia CA
Representatives of three Los Angeles area organizations with long histories of partnership will share the details of their success including how challenges were overcome. This facilitated discussion will allow participants to interact with the experts to understand how partnerships can work in a variety of educational settings.
Planning for Partnerships: The Long View: Saturday, Nov. 10, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
David O'Fallon, President, MacPhail Center for Music, Minneapolis MN
Beth Vogel, Consultant, New York NY
Strong partnerships require sound planning. To survive, a partnership, like an organization, needs a clearly articulated vision as well as goals and objectives. In this session we will discuss the importance of going beyond mapping the day to day activities and examine strategies for developing a long term view.
Building Strong Partnerships Through Clear Communication: Saturday, Nov. 10, 3:15 PM - 4:30 PM
David O'Fallon, President, MacPhail Center for Music, Minneapolis MN
Beth Vogel, Consultant, New York NY
Partnerships rely on constant and clear communication on many levels. Each partnership is unique; the institutions and individuals have distinct histories, working cultures and expertise. In this session participants will learn how to organize the work of a partnership to achieve optimal communication.
Solving Partnership Problems: Saturday, Nov. 10, 4:45 PM - 6:00 PM
David O'Fallon, President, MacPhail Center for Music, Minneapolis MN
Beth Vogel, Consultant, New York NY
During this session, participants will work together to address the specific difficulties they are experiencing in their partnerships. Each participant will leave the session with a personal action plan.
Effective Business Practices for Community Arts Organizations: Thursday, Nov. 8, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Bob Capanna, Executive Director; Pat Manley, Branch Director
Patrick Leiter, Chief Technology Officer, Settlement Music School, Philadelphia PA
There is no single right or wrong way to conduct the business of a community arts organization, but there are ways that are more or less effective, efficient and supportive of the organization’s mission. Clear, fair and consistent policies and procedures, payment options and administrative processes signal professionalism, competence and thoughtful stewardship of staff and financial resources. Giving staff, faculty, students, partners and donors clear messages about how to do business with your organization is an essential part of earning their trust, loyalty and support. Learn about best practices, ways to extend the capacity of staff and the potential of technology to help (or hurt) institutional effectiveness.
Making Your Case: Research to Bolster Grants, Planning, and Advocacy: Thursday, Nov. 8, 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM
Jessica Eldredge, Suburban Outreach Coordinator
Nick Crosson, Research Coordinator, Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, Philadelphia PA
A little knowledge can make a big difference:
– A dance organization is opening a new studio in a fast-growing suburb. Which location is closest to families with children?
– The theater school needs to show a funder that a new program will be located in an underserved, minority community. How can they do that?
– A community arts center is working with a gallery and artists to establish a cultural district in town. What information can show local politicians that it is in the community’s best interest?
Community Arts Education organizations can draw on readily-available and easy-to-use research to answer questions such as those above. The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance works with its members to help them use research to make a difference in strategic planning with their boards and bolster their case for funding in grant applications. Community arts educators often need to make a very left-brained case to civic and business leaders to support their organization’s very right-brained programs.
Leading With Your Best Self: Thursday, Nov. 8, 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM
Arlene Goldbard, Consultant, Richmond CA
To lead with heart and integrity, we must first learn to lead ourselves. All of us started life as pure potential. As we grew we had glimpses of that potential being realized: can you remember a moment when you felt in complete command of your considerable powers? When you were able to bring all that you are and all that you know into the present? When what you had to offer seemed exactly right for the occasion? When you felt the pleasure of being completely aligned in your intentions and actions? People who work in the arts know a great deal about the power of imagination and creativity, about how much these powers are needed for social healing and growth. Reconnecting to our deepest energies transforms competent leadership into brilliance. In this workshop, we'll reencounter our best selves in order to understand how we can lead from there.
Leading with Limited Authority: Friday, Nov. 9, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Jerry Yoshitomi, Chief Knowledge Officer, MeaningMatters, LLC, Port Hueneme, CA
“You don’t have to be a person of influence to be influential.” – Scott Adams, Dilbert. Throughout our careers as arts leaders, we are often called upon to lead those whose authority supersedes our own—bosses, boards, policymakers, and peers. What does it take to successfully navigate this tricky course of egos, perceptions, and predispositions to create positive, catalytic change? In this session, we'll discuss barriers to leading from the middle and methods to overcome those barriers and convince our bosses and peers. We'll draw from key concepts in Useem's "Leading up: How to Lead Your Boss so You Both Win", Heifetz's "Leadership Without Easy Answers" and Yoshitomi's "Is Knowledge in the Right Places." After this highly interactive session, you'll leave with your own short action plan for leading with limited authority back home.
Strengthening Our Strongest Muscle - The Teaching Artist: Friday, Nov. 9, 2:30 PM - 5:45 PM
Paul Babcock, Executive Vice President, MacPhail Center for Music, Minneapolis MN
Magda Martinez, Director, Community Partnerships in the Arts, Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia PA
Community arts education organizations rely on teaching artists to deliver upon our missions. As the primary service providers, teaching artists are in direct contact with the students, our clients and the families of those we serve. They are our strongest muscle, our most valuable asset. Through proper diet and exercise, this muscle can nurtured and developed to work in concert with all of the functions of the organization. The more we support teaching artists, the more our organizations can grow and succeed in fulfilling their missions. In this “super session” we will address nurturing teaching artists from the philosophical and strategic perspectives. We’ll also discuss practical, day-to-day methods for carrying out our ideas. Participants will be engaged in creative problem solving exercises and encouraged to share the best practices from the field.
Getting the Right Board on Board: Saturday, Nov. 10, 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Judith Teitelman, Consultant, Los Angeles, CA
What makes a Board of Directors effective? Dynamic? Fun? How do you find energetic and invested Board members? How do you get the most out of your Board members? How can Board and staff collectively help an organization grow and thrive? What are the obstacles that so often block Boards from successful governance and participation? Attend this lively session on being a Board member or working with a Board of Directors. Gain clarity and insights on the roles, responsibilities, benefits, challenges, pleasures and satisfactions of being a member of a nonprofit arts organization Board of Directors. Discover greater understanding of the organization’s relationship and responsibility to its Board members.
The Unbearable Lightness of Planning: Saturday, Nov. 10, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Judith Teitelman, Consultant, Los Angeles, CA
Do you have a vision for your organization’s future? A clear and compelling view of what programs you will offer and whom you will serve? Do you have a sense of how you will achieve this future? In this session, you will learn how to: (1) build a vision for your organization; (2) identify issues and obstacles facing your organization; and (3) formulate and implement effective strategies and plans. Topics include developing vision, mission, and values statements; identifying organizational “Current Realities”; creating the planning document; and implementing effective strategies.
Changing our Corporate Organizational Climate to Foster Inclusion and Diversity: Saturday, Nov. 10, 3:15 PM - 4:30 PM
Jerry Yoshitomi, Chief Knowledge Officer, MeaningMatters, LLC, Port Hueneme, CA
Many seek to increase the breadth and diversity of students, faculty and boards of directors. However, we’re often stymied by corporate cultures that continue the practices and traditions of the past at the exclusion of innovation and change. This highly interactive session is intended for those who already seek diversity and inclusion (you don’t need to be convinced) in their organizations. We’ll discuss what’s worked in the past (and what hasn’t), as well as to develop methods to overcome institutional barriers and squelchers (those who attempt to squelch innovative concepts and ideas). Participants will develop their own specific plans to change the corporate culture back home and secure sustainable inclusion and diversity.
Organizational Assessment: News You Can Use - Measuring What Matters – And What to Do After Getting the Results: Saturday, Nov. 10, 4:45 PM - 6:00 PM
Jerry Yoshitomi, Chief Knowledge Officer, MeaningMatters, LLC, Port Hueneme, CA
Can you describe long term organizational goals and the contribution each department/program makes toward reaching those goals? Participants will deploy Logic Models and Indicator Tools that can help to immediately ascertain what’s working and what’s not, as well as create departmental and organizational Dashboards of key indicators and performance measurements. We’ll take the next step deciding what to do after we’ve examined those indicators and measures. This session is intended for Boards of Directors, Executive Leadership, Funders, and those who apply/report to them. You’ll create your own logic model hypothesizing how your activities impact directly on communities, revenues and the public value of your work.
The A to Z Grantwriting Workshop: Thursday, Nov. 8, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Linda Vallejo
Linda Vallejo will present a simple and proven system that teaches participants how to submit proposals to government, foundation, corporate and individual donors. This workshop will provide participants with the skills, resources, and tools needed to diversify and expand their funding base. Participants will be introduced to a systemized method that allows them to implement a successful grantwriting campaign, writing up to fifty proposals annually. Participates will leave with a new, refreshed “can do” attitude toward grantwriting. Each participant will receive a detailed A to Z Workshop Manual. Participants will learn the basics of how to:
• Diversify their funding base by approaching foundation and corporate funders
• Research and organize “good match” potential funders
• Develop positive communications and relationships with funders
• Establish successful relationships with collaborating partners
• Consolidate a complete grant proposal package
News from the NEA: Thursday, Nov 8, 12:45 - 1:45pm
Sarah Bainter Cunningham, Director of Arts Education, National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, DC
Dr. Cunningham will report on the NEA's latest initiatives and answer questions about securing federal support for your work. The first half of the session will review NEA projects, such as NEA National Initiatives and Leadership Initiatives, with time for questions. The second half of the session will provide information about the Learning In the Arts grants competition, with tips for improving your applications.
Recruiting Students: Thursday, Nov. 8, 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
Alana Seddon, Associate Director of The Hartt School Community Division of the University of Hartford, Hartford, CT
During this facilitated discussion session, we will examine techniques to increase the number of students registering for your classes—from grassroots strategies to strategic partnerships. Come prepared to share your most effective practices and learn from others.
Reaching Potential Students: Marketing on the Internet: Friday, Nov. 9, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Jean Hester, Artist & Consultant, Los Angeles CA
Students are increasingly net-savvy. They create profiles on MySpace, post video on YouTube, research papers on Wikipedia. To reach this pool of prospective students, you need a dynamic, strong web presence. You also need to use the language of the internet in your marketing efforts. In this workshop you’ll learn how to use the internet—websites, blogs, social networking, and search engines—to bring in new students.
Marketing 101: Creating the Plan: Friday, Nov. 9, 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Nancy Hytone Leb, Arts Management Consultant, Pasadena, CA
Marketing is key to the future of any arts organization. You know you need to do it, but where do you start? Understanding basic fundamentals and creating a marketing plan is the first step. In this workshop, you will begin to explore strategies that will help you identify your audience, develop a media mix and communicate the essence of your organization. Participants will learn to look at their own organization with a new marketing focus. We will cover the elements of the planning process and provide you with key definitions and terms, concepts, tools and resources that you need to create a marketing plan for your organization.
Branding 101: Understanding Branding and how it can Directly Affect Your Place in the Community: Friday, Nov. 9, 4:15 PM - 5:45 PM
Jim Royce Director of Marketing, Communications and Sales at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper
Forum/Ahmanson Theatre
Branding and selling are complimentary parts of marketing. One is your relationship to the world around you, the other is how that relationship effects your bottom line. Every service organization—even non-profits—must sell, but very few brand. In the right hands it is a vitally important distinction and a potentially powerful combination.
Asking Individuals to Give: Part 1: Saturday, Nov. 10, 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Bill J. Harrison, CFRE, Mesa AZ
In 2006, Individuals gave more than $222 billion to charitable causes. Did you get your fair share? This three-part workshop will help you understand the importance of individual giving and provide guidance in the finding, cultivating and soliciting of individuals. Participants will learn what motivates people to give and how to build a fundraising infrastructure to achieve better philanthropic results. Section one will also discuss the importance of a case for support and how to create this document. There also will be discussion on fundraising plans, recognition plans and the process of fundraising.
Asking Individuals to Give: Part 2: Saturday, Nov. 10, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Bill J. Harrison, CFRE, Mesa AZ
Major donors are the backbone of successful fundraising. This section will discuss major gifts and the individuals who give them. Participants will learn the nine steps they need to take to be better at asking for gifts and the six techniques for building donor loyalty. Section two will also explain the twelve facts about major donors that will dramatically increase fundraising success.
Asking Individuals to Give: Part 3: Saturday, Nov. 10, 3:15 PM - 4:30 PM
Bill J. Harrison, CFRE, Mesa AZ
There are two critical aspects of fundraising that you need to understand: 1) You have to ask for a gift to receive a gift, 2) Once you've received a gift you must thank the donor promptly, sincerely, and appropriately. This section will discuss how to ask for gifts, will explain effective interviewing and listening techniques, will explain the importance of recognition, and will provide numerous ideas about how to thank donors.
Philanthropic Warfare! Developing Your Capital Campaign: Saturday, Nov. 10, 4:45 PM - 6:00 PM
Bill J. Harrison, CFRE, Mesa AZ
To successfully raise millions of dollars to remodel or build new structures takes an army of dedicated volunteers, outstanding leadership, a well-developed and articulated plan, and a compelling case for support. The participants in this workshop will learn the most important components of a capital campaign, when not to conduct a campaign, the role of a campaign consultant, the importance of a feasibility study, and all the costs associated with a campaign. In small groups, participants will be challenged with a capital campaign dilemma.
Community School Registration/Management Software: Thursday, Nov. 8, 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
Three software vendors will demonstrate registration management systems designed for community arts education organizations—StudioSchool Pro by Dedication Technologies, Community School Management System by CSM–SYS, and a new product by Active Network. You’ll then be invited to test drive each system in the Arts Education Expo.
Moderator: Terry Hueneke, Trustee, National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts
Presenters: Chris Carver, General Manager, Active Educate, Active Network
Will Loving, President, Dedication Technologies
Patrick Leiter, Chief Technology Officer, CSM–SYS
Bob Capanna, President, CSM–SYS
Patricia Manley, Vice President, Subscriber Services, CSM–SYS
Early Childhood Showcase : Friday, Nov. 9, 10:30 AM - 12 Noon
Presenters:
Music Together: Kelly Bornmann and Susan Van Sickle
Musik Garten: Don Wilson and Mary Louise Wilson
J.W. Pepper & Son, Inc.: Dr. Tina Vartanian
Clavinova Connection Showcase: Reaching New Audiences: Friday, Nov. 9, 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Amy Dennison, Director, College Conservatory of Music Preparatory Department, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH
Myrna Crooks, Clavinova Connection Specialist, Yamaha Corporation, Felton, CA
The Clavinova Connection program developed by Yamaha Corporation of America emphasizes health and wellness and offers older adults an opportunity to engage in active music making. As community schools of the arts embrace the emerging field of recreational music making, Clavinova Connection is an ideal program to meet both artistic and social needs of adults. This session will include an overview of the philosophy and research behind this keyboard program, a case study of the first program of this kind in the state of Ohio, and an opportunity to experience the program yourself with a demonstration by educator/trainer Myrna Crooks representing the Music Marketing Group of Yamaha.
Learning Without Borders: Friday, Nov. 9, 4:15 PM - 5:45 PM
Dr. Eric Engdahl, Director - Art & Public Education
Hannah Dworkin, Art & Public Education Associate, East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, Richmond CA
The East Bay Center for the Performing Arts has been committed to providing high quality performing arts instruction to urban schools in the Richmond, CA area since 1978. Their most recent project, the Learning Without Borders professional development program provides fourth, fifth, and sixth grade teachers with the tools to implement multidisciplinary, academically linked performing arts activities in their classrooms. As a Federal Department of Education sponsored program, Learning Without Borders utilizes five distinct workshops to empower teachers in many areas of the performing arts. The subject matter includes creative dramatics, theatre and local history, music and dance integration, new media in the classroom, and culturally specific genres including Mexican and African music and dance. A central component to the project is the cultivation of “Arts Learning Circles” where teachers collaborate and determine the best ways to address the performing arts in their particular school settings. This workshop uses highly interactive artistic techniques to teach participants to implement such a program in their own arts organization and/or school district.
The Technological Elephant in the Room: Saturday, Nov. 10, 9:30 AM -11:00 AM
Harry Chalmiers, President, McNally Smith College of Music, Saint Paul, MN
Everything in the world of the arts is changing except one: the way we teach. OK, that’s not entirely true, but the methods of art education remain largely unaffected by the changes technology has brought to the way we experience and produce art. In the field of music, every single aspect of the art and industry has been affected by advances in technology, and in many cases has changed radically: how we play it, compose it, produce it, record it, listen to it, sell it, distribute it, and use it. What is true in the field of music is equally true in media arts, and no art form is unaffected.
Young people are certainly not strangers to these developments. In many cases, their skills and fluency in the new technologies far outstrip those of their teachers and mentors. Is this OK? Is our educational content in need of rethinking or revision? Are our educational institutions up to the challenge?
New technologies bring many opportunities along with challenges to our tried and true educational practices and traditions. How should community arts education organizations respond to these challenges? Can technology expand our reach, lower barriers to access, create whole new ways of working in the arts, create new art forms? Join us for a lively discussion of these questions and more.
Creating Theater with and for Community: Saturday, Nov. 10, 11:30 AM–1:00 PM.
Paula Donnelly, Institute Director, Cornerstone Theater Company, Los Angeles, CA.
"Cornerstone is a multi-ethnic, ensemble-based theater company. We commission and produce new plays, both original works and contemporary adaptations of classics, which combine the artistry of professional and community collaborators. By making theater with and for people of many ages, cultures and levels of theatrical experience, Cornerstone builds bridges between and within diverse communities in our home city of Los Angeles and nationwide." Cornerstone Theater opens a window on their unique methodology for creating community collaborative theatrical productions. Attendees will participate in cultural mapping exercise and a structured dialogue technique for opening up conversation with and between community participants in artistic collaborations.
Maximizing Your Relationship with the National Guild: Thursday, Nov. 8, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Jonathan Herman, Executive Director & Heather Stickeler, Marketing and Communications Manager, National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, New York NY
National Guild representatives will offer an organizational overview and share insights into how to make the most out of your affiliation. Come learn about the history and current state of community arts education; National Guild programs, member services, and governance structures. You’ll also learn how you can become more involved should you so desire.
Conference Orientation: Thursday, Nov. 8, 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM
Ken Cole, Program Director, National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, New York NY
An introduction to Los Angeles and the Conference for Community Arts Education. Hear some expert advice from Guild staff and veteran conference delegates on how to make the best use of your time here in LA.
Plenary Session & Chike Nwoffiah Keynote Address: Friday, Nov. 9, 7:45 AM – 10:15 AM
Chike Nwoffiah, Executive Director, Oriki Theatre, Mountain View, CA
Panelists:
Jeffry Walker, Executive Director, Community School of Music and Arts at Finn Center, Mountain View, CA
Sarah Bainter Cunningham, Director of Arts Education, National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, DC
Josephine Ramirez, Vice President of Programming and Planning, L.A. Music Center, Los Angeles, CA
Bau Graves, Executive Director, Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, IL
Long Term Leaders Roundtable: Thursday, Nov. 8, 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM
David Lapin, Executive Director, Community Music Center of Boston, Boston MA
The roundtable session will focus on personal implications of planning for retirement as well as institutional preparations for succession. Contingency planning for unexpected absence or loss will also be discussed. Possible issues to discuss will include:
1. Training/developing/mentoring new leaders
2. Reconfiguring job descriptions to share power (e.g., creating a deputy director/VP position)
3. Developing a succession plan
4. Documenting policies, procedures, relationships
5. Staying connected to the field/organization post-retirement (professionally & personally)
6. Planning for retirement
7. Taking care of oneself “along the way” – sabbaticals, etc.
8. The possibility of the Guild’s providing mentors drawn from senior members of the field
Though this roundtable was designed for those with 10+ years of experience in mind, others interested in these issues are welcome to attend.
Collegiate-Divisional Roundtable: Friday, Nov. 9, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Amy Dennison, Director, College Conservatory of Music Preparatory Department, University of Cincinnati Paula Goodman, Director of K-12 Programs, Art Center College of Design
Catherine Fletcher, Director, Herberger College for Kids, Herberger College of Fine Arts, Arizona State University
Dr. Howard Potter, Director, Eastman Community Music School
Mark Huxsoll, Director, Temple University Music Preparatory Division
Marianne Lauffer, Assistant Director of Faculty and Extensions, Westminster Conservatory of Music
Paula Goodman, Director of K-12 Programs, Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA
This roundtable, for directors of community arts education divisions at colleges, universities and conservatories, will focus on three key issues:
Fostering Programmatic Connections to the Parent Institution
As directors of divisional schools of the arts, we are all seeking ways to increase awareness and appreciation for what our schools provide for the college community as well as the community at large. One important way to achieve this is to find ways to connect to our parent institutions in meaningful, programmatic ways. This 30-minute discussion will include results from a survey from divisional schools and observations on current practices/trends. It will also include a list of possible areas for development including the WHAT, HOW, and WHYs of implementing such programs.
Making a Case for Community Arts Education to the Parent Institution
During the past several years, degree-granting colleges and universities have begun to transform themselves into true lifelong learning institutions. To adapt to the new values of today’s economy and meet a variety of social challenges and opportunities, it has been the enterprising open enrollment and community-focused programs that have responded to new market opportunities that leverage the brand and resources of their parent institution. Although the benefits to the general public and community are clear, the value of these programs often is unclear and misunderstood in the eyes of the parent institution’s leadership. Our topic will explore how to move community arts programs from the sidelines into the mainline of the parent institution’s mission.
Bridging the Gaps –Internally and Externally
One of the major challenges within the divisional community school of the arts structure is finding creative ways to bridge the gaps between the parent institution and the divisional community arts program. From an employee standpoint, it is entirely possible that there is a major disparity between how our faculty members perceive themselves as professional teachers and performers for their community arts school and how they feel their parent institution perceives them as employees of the University. What contributes to our faculty feeling like the step-child within the University? How important is it for our faculty to understand the bigger picture of the University? Should we expect them to buy in to the parent institution’s mission and vision? In this session we will examine a variety of practices and procedures within some of our University structures that could be contributing to this “them-and-us” syndrome. We will also look at some success stories that have helped to bring divisional community arts school faculty more in sync with the spirit of the University, thus bridging one more gap.
Divisional-Program/School Roundtable: Friday, Nov. 9, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Igal Kesselman, Director, Lucy Moses School at Kaufman Center, New York, NY
This roundtable will focus on issues common to schools/programs operating under the auspices of a larger organization (arts center, after-school program, performing arts organization, museum, etc.). Note that programs/schools associated with higher education organizations should attend the Collegiate-Divisional Roundtable. Details of agenda TBA.
Medium-Size School Roundtable: Friday, Nov. 9, 4:15 PM – 5:45 PM
Christopher Maddock, Executive Director, Claremont Community School of Music, Claremont, CA
This Roundtable, exclusively for directors of independent schools with budgets of $600,000 and $1.49 million, will focus on issues common to organizations of this size. Details of agenda TBA.
Roundtable for Directors of Large Independent Community Arts Schools: Saturday, Nov. 10, 9:15 AM - 11:15 AM
Dr. Margaret Quackenbush, President & Executive Director, Hochstein School of Music and Dance, Rochester NY
Robert Capanna, Executive Director, Settlement Music School, Philadelphia, PA
This Roundtable, exclusively for directors of independent schools with budgets of $1.5+ million, will focus on the following issues:
Developing a Common Identity and Mission
The number of community based arts programs has grown dramatically in the last thirty years and there is a broadening awareness of the importance of arts education for people at all stages of life. Whether as an aid to audience development or to academic success, arts education has been a hot topic and a hot button for all kinds of organizations and constituencies. Yet community schools of the arts continue to struggle for recognition in the arts and culture sector and in the broader public consciousness. Even within the field there is a curious disunity of message and mission. Now is the time to develop a common definition that describes who we are and what we do, and to better articulate our place in the overall cultural ecology, our past accomplishments and future potential.
Managing Growth
In recent years, many community arts education organizations have experienced significant growth in programs, operating sites, and sheer number of students served. Maintaining a sense of community, managing the impact of growth on infrastructure and staff, balancing the needs of current programs with opportunities for new initiatives, and keeping focus on best practices are just some of the potential issues that arise in the context of managing growth. This roundtable will offer participants a chance to identify key challenges and identify potential approaches and helpful resources.
Visual Arts Roundtable: Saturday, Nov. 10, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Matthew Braun, Executive Director, Community Partnerships in the Arts, Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia, PA
Magda Martinez, Director, Community Partnerships in the Arts, Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia, PA
Sherry Fair, Administrative Director, City Arts Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Kathryn G. Yuasa Nelson, Arts Education Supervisor, Civic Arts Education, Walnut Creek, CA
Scott Ward, Executive Director, Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena, CA
Ann Lalik, Executive Director, Baum School of Art, Allentown, PA
This roundtable, for representatives or organizations offering visual arts instruction to their communities, will focus on two critical issues:
Inputs, Outputs, Outcomes: Metrics of Success in Visual Arts Education
With such significant attention focused on the importance of measuring the effectiveness of arts education programming, how many organizations can clearly demonstrate their activities are designed based on strategic and cohesive metrics for success? How do organizations show their investments are delivering the desired results and intended impact from the outset? How do we know that the experiences people have inside our institutions make a difference in their lives and the way in which they interpret and engage with the world around them? How do we, as administrators and teaching artists, translate the various processes in art making into measurable outcomes intended to reflect internal changes in our clients/students? How do we measure the results of our activities to determine how well we are contributing to larger societal benefit? These and many other questions will be asked and discussed as we examine current trends in outcome-based program assessment and look at the ways in which visual arts education organizations measure and communicate the results of their work.
Partnerships in Visual Arts Education
Whether you call them collaborations, partnerships, cohorts or cronies…organizations that share resources through joint ventures live a richer existence! Funders love to sponsor them and the community benefits in a number of ways. It’s a win-win approach to business, innovative programs and community building. Join this group of visual arts organizations as they share examples of their successful partnership programs; how they started and how they work. Come share your success stories and challenges too!
Small School Roundtable: Saturday, Nov. 10, 3:15 PM – 4:30 PM
Aida Aydinyan, Executive Director, Barthelmes Conservatory, Tulsa, OK
This roundtable will focus on issues related to the successful operation of a small-budget community arts school when funds and human resources are precious. We’ll investigate optimal staffing structures that also incorporate volunteers, avoiding burnout, and issues related to growth. We’ll also discuss effective marketing on a shoestring. Participants are encouraged to bring sample materials to share: annual reports, financial aid application forms, marketing brochures, etc.
Exchange information and insights with your peers while enjoying a healthy, hearty breakfast. This session provides an untailored opportunity for focused, facilitated discussion concerning a host of proposed topics including:
Arts in the Juvenile Justice System: Eric Bachrach, Executive Director, Community Music School of Springfield, Springfield, MA
Community Arts Centers: Kathy Bestwick, Executive Director, Phoenix Village Arts Center, Phoenixville, PA
Community Arts Education in Small Towns & Rural Communities: Robert Rogers, Assistant Director, Amelia Arts Academy, Fernandina Beach, FL
Dance: Suzanne Hirsch, Director of Education, New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA), New Orleans, LA
Development Directors/Fund Raisers: Maureen Ischay, Director of Development, Cleveland Music School Settlement, Cleveland, OH
Facility Planning & Development: Duffie Adelson, Executive Director & Bill Wallace, Chief Operating Officer, Merit School of Music, Chicago, IL
Financial Aid & Scholarship Programs: Davin Pierson Torre, Director, Flint School of Performing Arts, Flint, MI
JW Pepper Early Childhood Programs: TBD
Marketing Early Childhood Programs: Laurie Russell, Executive Director, Winchester Community Music School, Winchester, MA
Media Arts: Debra Koffler, Executive Director, Conscious Youth Media Crew, San Francisco, CA
Performing Arts Centers: Jason Siebert, Manager, Community Programs, Orange County Performing Arts Center, Costa Mesa, CA
Organizational Assessment & Accreditation: Peggy Quackenbush, President & Executive Director, David Hochstein Memorial Music School, Rochester, NY
Starting a Community School of the Arts: Margaret Perry, Director, Armstrong Community Music School of Austin Lyric Opera, Austin, TX
Theater Arts: Emily Klion, Program & Artistic Director, Marsh Youth Theater, San Francisco, CA
Working with Special Needs Students: Tim DePrey, Director of Individual Instruction, MacPhail Center for Music, Minneapolis, MN