During the month of September, AAEC hosted an Administrators Arts Academy in Juneau.  The event was funded through a Title II A grant from DEED, awarded to BSSD on behalf of the New Visions Network.  Districts within the network, supported by the Alaska State Council on the Arts, are Kodiak, Sitka, Lower Kuskokwim, Bering Strait, Copper River and North Slope.  AAEC partnered with the University of Alaska Southeast to host this 2.5 day event.

The goals for this event were

  • Familiarize participants with new Alaska Arts Standards (including Visual Arts, Music, Theatre, Dance, Media Arts);
  • Equip participants with tools and resources to use in their schools to introduce teachers and para-professionals to the Arts Standards and Arts Integration strategies;
  • Provide experiential arts and pedagogical sessions, designed to increase confidence and understanding of the value of the arts in student engagement and motivation;
  • Create a community of leaders, with mechanisms to collaborate and support each other throughout the year; and
  • Develop school based arts action plans, including documentation of impact to share with colleagues.
Forty-five administrators attended representing the above districts as well as University representatives, presenters, and AAEC support personnel.