This blog 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. The Sonoma County Arts Education Alliance is pleased to share Mark West Charter School’s “Make Music” elective class for 7th-8th graders. Students use maracas, guitars, and body percussion. Directed by music teacher Kara Kaufman, students learn to improvise and compose, collaborate with other students, read and write standard music notation, and prepare works for performance at school assemblies. Congratulations, Mark West Charter School!

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

Districts Get the Support They Need to Increase Access

These Sonoma County districts will join other districts in receiving this Creative Sonoma grant to customize a strategic arts plan, identify strengths, challenges, and resources and develop a timeline and actions steps to increase access and equity for their students. For more information about the Framework, contact Debbie.Yarrow@sonoma-county.org or go to www.creativesonoma.org/aef-grant/.

The 2023 Arts Education Framework Grants are supported by a grant to Creative Sonoma by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Poetry Out Loud Offers High Schools Students a Poetic Opportunity!

Poetry Out Loud is a national, state, and county program in which high school students select, memorize, and recite a poem. Poet teachers are provided to the class to support, and the program lasts an average of 3 weeks. Each participating high school determines a representative to the countywide POL contest on January 29, 2023, which will be held at Sonoma State University. That winner travels to the state contest, and that winner to the nationals in Washington, D.C. Substantial prizes are available for students.

Express interest or ask questions by December 1, 2022. Contact Poet Teacher michelekrueger108@gmail.com for more information.

Calling Education Leaders from SoCo Arts Organizations!

Join other leaders from around the County to plan “Career Opportunities in Teaching the Arts,” a session designed for higher education students to learn about the possibilities of incorporating teaching into career plans. We need more teachers now! Let’s talk about ways to pursue that choice. Conversation will also focus on news and updates. And don’t forget to mark your calendar for Teaching Artists Open Call on March 25, 2023!

GENERAL RESOURCES AND NEWS

“How Music and Play Enhances STEAM Education for Early Learners”

This piece by master teaching artist, Wincey Terry-Bryant, shares how simple arts skills can help teachers support the development of number sense, measurement, algebra, literacy, science, and engineering. Education Commission of the States, Blog from 10/17/22.

“Virtual Mentoring Through Storytelling and Hip Hop”

Read about a project combining English language arts knowledge with Hip Hop, the most listened to musical genre for middle and high school students throughout the world. Students created original, meaningful songs and raps while learning new vocabulary and digital tech skills. Arts Education Partnership, 9/1/22.

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