Artist/Teacher Institute (aTi) Celebrates 35th Anniversary

2010-06-08 15:37:16 (GMT) (WiredPRNews.com - Art, Press Releases)

35 Years of Helping Teachers Find Their Inner Artist Has Touched More Than a Half a Million New Jersey Students

Englewood, NJ – (WiredPRNews.com) – The Artist/Teacher Institute (aTi), an accredited program for educators and artists, providing professional development and personal discovery programs in the performing, visual and literary arts, is celebrating its 35th Anniversary this summer.

The program is co-sponsored by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and Arts Horizons, and features two, 2-week sessions each summer that offer New Jersey teachers opportunities to study with renowned master teaching artists while earning up to 60 hours of NJ Professional Development Credits. aTi participants receive in-depth, hands-on instruction in a variety of workshops such as Playwriting, Latin Dance, Book Arts, Poetry, Painting and Music. Teachers of all subject areas learn creative applications and projects for cross-curricular connections that support the Core Curriculum Content Standards and 21st Century Skills.

According to Jenifer Simon, Arts Horizons Director of New Jersey Programs, Partnerships, and the Artist Teacher Institute (aTi), the aTi summer sessions give participants the opportunity to explore their creativity and gain a new perspective on their artistic or teaching practice. “For teachers, aTi is an opportunity to become ‘the student,’ while connecting with a community of peers. We have the great honor and pleasure of watching participants grow and blossom by taking workshops in an engaging, encouraging environment,” said Ms. Simon. “aTi helps teachers find their inner artist, and then helps them bring this creativity into the classroom. Many teachers comment that aTi gives them a new lease on life for teaching.”

“aTi was like a retreat for teachers,” said Lisa Merino, Fourth Grade Teacher at Lawnside Public School in Lawnside, NJ. “Just being exposed to all these creative people helped me raise the bar on the amount of creativity I will put into my classroom.”

As aTi celebrates its 35th Anniversary, this year’s program kicks off with Session I from July 12-23, 2010 at William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ. Session II will be held August 2 -13, 2010 at Rutgers University in Camden, NJ. Participants select two workshops per session, a Major–-which is a 3-hour workshop from 9:00am–12:00 noon, Monday through Friday; and a Minor–a 2-hour workshop from 1:00–3:00pm, Monday through Friday. All workshops are designed to expand individual artistic talents and teaching abilities, while helping participants learn methods of integrating the art form into their classrooms. Workshops range from “Oil Painting: A Brush with Creativity,” and “Poetry Out Loud: From Page to Stage,” to “Beyond Boundaries: Installation Art,” and “Hold the Applause: Theatre Games and Improv.” To download the aTi brochure, visit: shortened website: http://tinyurl.com/aTibrochure2010

“aTi has been inspiring teachers and artists for 35 years, and over those years that inspiration has translated into a positive difference in the lives of more than half a million students statewide,” said Steve Runk, New Jersey State Council on the Arts executive director. “We’re looking forward to another exciting program this summer of unique workshops that help teachers refresh and expand their practice back in the classroom.”

Registration fees for the aTi sessions range from $375 per session for artists and student teachers, to $625 for teachers and administrators, and include tuition, NJ Professional Development Credit and lunch. If there are more than three registrants from the same school district, each participant receives $100 off on the registration fee. There are a limited number of scholarships available, and the deadline for applying for scholarship funds is June 15th. To inquire, contact 201-567-1766 ext. 102 or visit www.artshorizons.org for an application.

The Artist Teacher Institute is co-sponsored by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Horizons. Additional funding is generously provided by The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, and The Victoria Foundation.

About The New Jersey State Council on the Arts
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts is a division of the NJ Department of State. It receives funding in direct appropriations from the State of New Jersey through a dedicated Hotel/Motel Occupancy fee and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. Since 1966, its volunteer members and professional staff have worked to improve the quality of life in New Jersey by helping the arts to flourish. For more information about the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, please visit www.njartscouncil.org. Further information regarding the arts in New Jersey is found on an interactive web site, www.jerseyarts.com, and available on a toll-free hotline 1-800-THE ARTS.

About Arts Horizons
Arts Horizons, located in Englewood, NJ, is a premier arts-in-education, non-profit organization that reaches more than 250,000 children, teachers and parents a year throughout New Jersey and the New York/Metropolitan area, with vibrant school and community-based programs where children gain appreciation for the arts. Founded in 1978, Arts Horizons is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York and New Jersey State Councils on the Arts as well as numerous foundations, corporations and generous individuals. To learn more about Arts Horizons and the Artist Teacher Institute, or to register, please visit: www.artshorizons.org or call (201) 567-1766 Ext. 102.