Arts Integration Studio offers Professional Development Training for teachers, administrators, community educators, health care professionals, parents, teaching artists, and the general public.
CURRENT PROGRAMS
Professional Development in Pittsfield Public Schools
This Fall, Priscilla is working with Pittsfield Public Schools‘ Arts Integration facilitators and mentoring them in a Professional Learning Circle that builds on the success of her work with Pittsfield Public Schools and Berkshire Educational Resources (Berk12), during the Berkshire County Fall ’22 County-Wide Arts Integration Professional Development day.
Priscilla will also be facilitating a workshop at the upcoming Berkshire County Fall ’23 County-Wide Arts Integration P.D. day.
“The most impressive segment of the day was the presentation offered by Priscilla Kane Hellweg. It was very relevant to all Arts Integration when teaching interdisciplinary subjects.”
*This project is supported by a grant from the Pittsfield Education Enrichment Fund of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.
Supporting a Sustainable STEAM Program at Mountain View School
During the Fall of ’23, Priscilla and Megan Kelley-Bagg, Easthampton Public Schools STEAM coordinator, are planning a program to share best practices in STEAM and Arts Integration methodology with elementary teachers at Easthampton’s Mountain View School. They are also developing innovative STEAM content to be implemented with students on an ongoing basis.
This project is supported by grants from the Frances R. Dewing Foundation and the Easthampton Learning Foundation.
ARTS CORPS at the Treehouse, Year Two
This Fall, ARTS CORPS returns to the Treehouse Foundation with a weekly intergenerational workshop series exploring community through the arts. In September AIS is offering Theater workshops, followed by an October Photography & Postcard project series.
ARTS CORPS is an 8 month long training program developed by Arts Integration Studio for college students and emerging teaching artists interested in the intersectionality of arts, education, and community well-being. The program includes arts integration training with a focus on trauma-informed and culturally relevant practices, and opportunities to attend and (co)facilitate intergenerational workshops and short residencies at the Treehouse with youth and families whose lives have been impacted by foster care, and with community elders.
PAST PROGRAMS
Intergenerational Arts Training Program
On May 16th, Arts Integration Studio and the Treehouse Community in Easthampton came together for a Celebration of the Arts at the CitySpace Blue Room in the center of Easthampton. This event was the culmination of our 2023 Arts Corps intergenerational workshop series exploring community through the arts.
On display were personal collages, self portraits, and courage crowns created by Treehouse community participants of all ages. The event included time to view artwork and meet the artists, a theater game demonstration, the first public viewing of Treehouse Foundation’s HEROES Youth Leadership Program’s 2023 film, “A HEROES’ Vision”, and a joyful reception for all.
Arts Corps 2023
This event was made possible by a Massachusetts Cultural Council Festivals grant.
PREVIOUS WORK
Priscilla has created district-wide arts integration initiatives to support academic achievement for Amherst, Northampton, Holyoke, Springfield, and Westfield Public Schools. (2000-2021)
She has collaborated on the development of Teacher Training Institutes with numerous partners, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Teaching American History grants. (2010-2021)
In addition to providing Professional Development workshops for many district-wide school systems in Massachusetts and Connecticut, Priscilla has taught at the Boch Center in Boston, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., the History Institute at the University of Massachusetts, and for the Collaborative for Educational Services in Northampton, MA. (2005-2021)
Priscilla has been adjunct faculty at Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, University of Hartford, and Westfield State University. (1995 – 2020)
photo credit: TedX Pioneer Valley
Institute for Arts Integration
photo credit: Enchanted Circle Theater