This newsletter includes:

• Sonoma County Resources and News
• General Resources and News

SONOMA COUNTY RESOURCES AND NEWS

Student Arts Spotlight

Student Arts Spotlight shares the good news of the arts making a difference in students’ lives in a monthly feature. Sonoma County student musicians performed with other selected musicians in the Sonoma County Honor Band, NorCal Honor Choir, Jazz Band, and Concert Band. Congratulations to these students for pursuing excellence and thanks to all of the music teachers for their commitment!

Learn about the Student Arts Spotlight and share your students’ accomplishments HERE, or browse the archive of past Spotlights HERE.

Celebrate Black History’s Theme for 2024 – African Americans and the Arts!

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Learn why we celebrate it and about the far-reaching impact of Black artistry, as well as resources for the classroom HERE

Get Ready! Have Your School Board Proclaim March Arts Education Month!

March is Arts Education Month, giving California schools and arts education advocates a unique opportunity to focus on the value of the arts for all students, foster cross-cultural understanding, provide recognition to their outstanding young artists and arts education teachers, and enhance public support for this essential part of the curriculum. 

Engaging your school board to proclaim March Arts Education Month is an excellent opportunity to build relationships with school leadership and raise awareness of the importance of arts education and the new funding all schools will receive through Prop 28, the Arts & Music in Schools Act. Follow steps provided HERE.

Join “Artful Conversations” – A New Community of the Arts Education Alliance

Have you ever wondered about the positive health influences (physical, emotional, mental, cognitive, spiritual, etc.) that all forms of art can have on us as human beings, in all aspects of life and development?  Are you curious about the deeper impact that art has on cultures, as well as the impact that cultures have on art?  Do you have a desire to explore scientific foundations and research on education through creativity and the Arts?  

If you have answered “yes” to any of the above, please join us for our premier Artful Conversation, focused on a foundational (and exciting) literary work called YOUR BRAIN ON ART: How the Arts Transform Us by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross.  We will use this literature as a stepping off point for future collaboration, dialogue, and experiences with and through the Arts. More info available HERE

Prop 28 Update

The California Dept of Education periodically makes updates to their FAQ page. The last update involves reallocation of funds from one school to another (FAQ #18) Read more HERE.

Prop 28 will bring new opportunities for arts educators. Learn more about education career pathways HERE.

Read about California State University San Marcos and their plan to create new pathways for arts teachers HERE.

Professional Development Focused on Mindfulness Techniques

The virtual workshop is focused on mindfulness techniques to explore cultural differences, break down barriers, and create inclusive environments in and out of the classroom. Offered by the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts. Learn more HERE.

A Call Out to School Visual Art Teachers! Join the Mixer!

Join the AEA for a Mix and Mingle and learn what’s going on in Sonoma County. Special call out to school visual art teachers-swing by Mitote to chat and network! All are welcome! Bring a friend!

Wednesday, March 27, 2024 from 5:30-7:00, Mitote Food Park, 665 Sebastopol Rd, Santa Rosa. More Mixer information HERE Check out what you’re missing at Mitote HERE

Create CA Offers Statewide Connection

Join the virtual February Arts Now Meetup with partner the Arts Education Alliance of the Bay Area! Don’t miss this chance to network beyond Sonoma County and explore the forefront of arts education with us. Register HERE.

General Resources and News

• Read the groundbreaking instructional model Unearthing Joy: A Guide to Culturally and Historically Responsive Curriculum and Instruction that shows how teaching from cultural and historical realities can enhance our efforts to cultivate identity, skills, and joy for students. (Unlimited availability to eAudiobook through the Sonoma County Library.)
• Looking for research for why arts education matters for students? ArtsEdSearch offers many supporting studies with data. Read Creating a Children’s Art World: Negotiating Participation, Identity, and Meaning in the Elementary School Art Room. Among the key findings “Students were able to explore the boundaries set up by the art teacher and on occasion, ignore them, in order to push the limits of their own creativity and process, thus functioning as artists often do in the adult world.”

Visit the Creative Sonoma Arts Education page to learn more about arts education projects and opportunities in Sonoma County.