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Hub Quick Hits: Immersive summer arts programs for middle school students

Offered by the Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities

It's really never too soon to make those summer plans for school-aged children.

Young artists in grades 6-9 can explore and refine their artistic talents in overnight summer programs offered by the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities. Located in downtown Greenville, the Governor’s School’s summer programs are led by practicing artists and provide students with foundational skills in creative writing, dance, drama, film, music or visual arts. South Carolina students can apply now at SCGSAH.org. Financial assistance is available for all programs through the Governor’s School Foundation. [caption id="attachment_52784" align="aligncenter" width="949"]A mixed group of around 15 male and female teenaged students on a light gray stage floor and black background, dressed in black with arms extended or raised as part of a drama production. There are no set pieces, and microphones extend over them on booms. SCGSAH drama students. Photo provided.[/caption]
Got arts news? Remember to submit it to The Hub! Got arts events? Listings are free on the only statewide arts calendar—Arts Daily!

Jason Rapp

SCAC opens applications for two positions

SCAC posts two positions

  • APPLICATION DEADLINE: Sunday, March 26, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET
  • COMPENSATION: Details included in postings

This morning, the South Carolina Arts Commission opened applications for two critical positions, one of which is new to the agency in the area of arts learning.

These roles contribute significantly to the agency's level of functioning. They are central to the SCAC's mission to promote equitable access to the arts and support the cultivation of creativity in South Carolina. Oh, and it's a fun place to work with a great team in place.

OFFICE MANAGER

The person in this role is expected to provide expert level administrative support, coordination, and implementation of activities under the direction of program and/or department directors. They manage the executive director’s calendar and the agency’s office procedures to ensure coordination of staff coverage to handle visitors and meetings in the building. The office manager will work with staff members to ensure detail planning, prioritizing, and allocating duties to support projects and activities, and assists with detailed preparations for smaller-scale meetings, events, projects and/or activities.  The office manager serves as a back-up to the procurement officer. They will also capture, maintain, and periodically report on departmental data. INSTRUCTIONAL SPECIALIST – new position The SCAC seeks an experienced teacher, instructional coach, or school administrator to support the agency in meeting its mission to provide equitable access to the arts.  This position will design, manage, and implement statewide programs for Arts Grow SC with teachers and administrators in schools and school districts. Working under supervision of the deputy director, they play a vital role in working with constituents including educators, instructional coaches, school and district administrators, artists, higher education professionals, teaching artists, and partner agencies. The instructional specialist will:
  • Evaluate effectiveness of existing arts and arts integrated curricula and assessments.
  • Work with research partners to identify areas where students struggle on state level standardized testing in ELA and math and use these results to work with arts and non-arts teachers, curriculum coaches, and administrators to develop points of engagement for the arts and these areas.
  • Provide training for SCAC certified teaching artists in connecting their work with standards, evaluation, and already-existing school curricula.
  • Provide leadership in culturally relevant instruction strategies for arts and non-arts teachers, curriculum coaches, and administrators. Conduct assessments of socio-cultural needs in schools and districts and connects learning communities with experts in the field.
  • Work with pre-service, new, and experienced teachers to develop lesson plans and learning objects geared toward using the arts to address learning loss in ELA and math.
Learn more about these positions and apply from the jobs page on SouthCarolinaArts.com. The application deadline for both positions is 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 26, 2023.
Got arts news? Remember to submit it to The Hub! Got arts events? Listings are free on the only statewide arts calendar—Arts Daily!

Jason Rapp

S.C. high schoolers reach state Poetry Out Loud finals

State finals scheduled for March 4 in Columbia


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Six South Carolina high school students earned the right to compete in March to see who’s best at the recitation and performance of poetry, then represent the state in a national competition.

The South Carolina Arts Commission coordinates Poetry Out Loud in South Carolina, partnering with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation to bring the competition to the state’s high school students. The program seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by capitalizing on the latest trends in poetry—recitation and performance. Program Coordinator Bonita Peeples introduced a new structure to the 2022/2023 competition that blended the traditional, in-person approach with the more recent virtual competitions caused by the pandemic. Schools who registered held in-person competitions locally while individual students who registered performed virtually in front of judges who named finalists. [caption id="attachment_49532" align="alignright" width="199"] Emily Allison. Provided photo.[/caption] The finalists this year come from Charleston, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, and Spartanburg:
  • Emily Allison, junior, Fine Arts Center (Greenville), the 2021 and 2022 state champion
  • Meenakshi Balachandran, senior, Calvary Christian School (Myrtle Beach)
  • Eve Decker, freshman, Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg)
  • Jessie Johnson, junior, Charleston County School of the Arts (Charleston)
  • Ella McCall, sophomore, Ashley Hall (Charleston)
  • Catherine Wooten, junior, Westgate Christian School (Spartanburg)
Judging the individual student competition were Paul Kaufmann, an actor an South Carolina Arts Commission Fellow in acting who was accuracy judge; Kimberly Simms Gibbs, poet and founder of Carolina Poets and Wits’ End Poetry in Greenville; and Al Black, a poet who is also host of numerous workshops and arts events in the Midlands. Thomas Maluck, Richland Library teen services librarian, was the prompter. The next step for the six finalists is the state finals competition on Saturday, March 4, 2023 at 3 p.m. The finals return to an in-person format for the first time since 2019 and will be held at the Richland Library Main Branch (1431 Assembly St., Columbia). The state finals champion will receive a $200 prize and get to represent South Carolina in the national finals competition in Washington May 5-8, 2023 for the chance to win a $20,000 first prize. Find out more about the national competition here.

About the South Carolina Arts Commission

The mission of the South Carolina Arts Commission is to promote equitable access to the arts and support the cultivation of creativity in South Carolina. We envision a South Carolina where the arts are valued and all people benefit from a variety of creative experiences. A state agency created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the SCAC works to increase public participation in the arts by providing grants, direct programs, staff assistance and partnerships in artist development, arts industry, arts learning, creative placemaking, and folklife and traditional arts. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the SCAC is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts, and other sources. Visit SouthCarolinaArts.com or call 803.734.8696, and follow @scartscomm on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for #Arts4SC and #SCartists content.
South Carolina Arts Commission News Release, Media Contact: Jason L. Rapp, Communications Director. jrapp@arts.sc.gov or 803.734.8899

Jason Rapp

Hub Quick Hits: Arts learning principals network conference next month

ArtsNOW is happy to announce an Arts Integration Principals' Network Conference, February 24, 2023, at Embassy Suites Downtown Greenville.

This will be an opportunity for principals in all stages of the arts integration journey to network with colleagues, to learn from other principals, and to hear about opportunities for your schools. It begins Thursday, Feb. 23 with a welcome reception from 4:30-6 p.m. The next day, David Dik, national executive director of Young Audiences Arts for Learning—the nation's oldest and largest arts in education learning network—will provide opening comments and help set the stage for this convening. Throughout the day, multiple sessions will be facilitated by principal leaders, along with other sessions regarding school related arts opportunities in both Georgia and South Carolina. Registration is now open using this link: https://forms.gle/4h4s5xJ4paEhDEqU6.
Got arts news? Remember to submit it to The Hub! Got arts events? Listings are free on the only statewide arts calendar—Arts Daily!

Jason Rapp

S.C. museum hires first arts ed director

With funding from the South Carolina Arts Commission, the Cecil Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum is announcing Valencia M. Goodwin as its first arts in education director.

Using the extensive collection of the museum, the director will work with middle and high schools and community organizations to explore the South Carolina history that shaped America. Goodwin, a native of Hopkins, believes that "like life, in art, there are no mistakes, only magic." This is the motto she lives by as a mother, creative visual artist, art instructor, model and owner of her own creative arts company, SoulSweet Avenue. Since the age of 3, Goodwin has been drawing. She can recall in elementary school completing a "When I Grow Up" form. Her top five options were to be the most famous artist in the world, become a fashion model, have her own art school, make art for the rest of her life, and have lots of children. It was during her years as a student at Lower Richland High School, under the instruction of Mr. John Johnson Jr., that she realized the uniqueness of her gift. He influenced her to further her education and pursue a career in the arts. In 2001 she won a Black history poster contest with an illustration titled, "My History," which is one of her most popular pieces to this day. Once her name was called as the winner she knew what was her life's purpose: to tell her truth, her history, our story, share our beauty and culture with the world and leave a legacy.
Located in Orangeburg, the Cecil Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum honors a generation of people throughout the Palmetto State, who deserve to be remembered for their unselfish commitments and sacrifices. Together, they destroyed Jim Crow, demanded dignity and justice for all people, changed the Constitution, and inspired mankind. The museum is open for visits by appointment. Now through the latest technology, virtual reality tours also allow an extremely immersive experience for everyone. You may tour the museum virtually at https://www.cecilwilliams.com/virtual-tour.

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S.C.’s original arts learning partnership turns 35

New name, new schools for FY23


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COLUMBIA, S.C. — How do you celebrate 35 years of the Arts in Basic Curriculum Project? By changing your name to Arts in Basic Curriculum Institute, a name that acknowledges your legacy and claims your unwavering commitment to your mission.

Projects come; projects go. After 35 years, ABC is not merely a project but an institution of leadership for countless educators. A first-of-its-kind national model in 1987, the South Carolina Arts Commission’s partnership with the South Carolina Department of Education and Winthrop University is no project. It is an established collaboration that has sustained numerous challenges and continues to serve as an innovative model to assist student recovery from the unprecedented crisis of a pandemic. “South Carolina turned heads in 1987. Our governing partners received a $20,000 planning grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to craft a plan of action based on a vision, to make comprehensive and sequential arts education accessible for all South Carolina students,” ABC Institute Director Kim Wilson, Ed.D said. “The founding steering committee dreamed big. Within a year, it had a plan in place. Within two, there was money going to 11 schools and districts to serve as models for the entire education community. From there, it just hasn’t stopped growing or changing young lives.”

RELATED CONTENT: Read the original ABC Project plan from 1988


In year 35, the original 11 grants have transformed into 69 schools across 20 districts, serving some 41,000 students.

[caption id="attachment_52049" align="alignright" width="250"] Archival image courtesy ABC Institute.[/caption] ABC Institute is proud to announce the three new schools that joined the ranks for FY23:
  • Angel Oak Elementary School |Charleston County School District | John’s Island
  • Beaufort Elementary School | Beaufort County School District | Beaufort
  • Hendrix Elementary IB World School | Spartanburg School District Two | Boiling Springs
Research conducted within ABC Schools have repeatedly provided evidence to the value of arts education in a student’s life. Data collected in 2018 from Gallup Organization research confirmed that South Carolina students who had access to the arts in their curriculum were more hopeful and more engaged than students who didn’t. “The Gallup research validated years of work by our agency and partners over the years,” said SCAC Executive Director David T. Platts, who was an administrator in an ABC school district at the time. “All of a sudden, we had proof of concept. It was, and still is, so gratifying.” However, ABC’s mission states, “all students in South Carolina,” so there was much more to be done. Demand has always exceeded available funding; and funding ebbs and flows throughout the years. Statewide advocates twice helped the SCAC secure $1 million funding increases specifically for the ABC Institute (2013 and 2016). Platts likes to echo da Vinci’s quote that art is never finished, though da Vinci goes on to say it is only abandoned. That  has never been the case for the ABC Institute. After conducting a yearlong internal evaluation, ABC Institute announced a restructure at the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year that featured the development of the ABC School Certification program and the Arts in Basic Curriculum mobile app as the primary tool to serve a redefined ABC Network, and eventually its name change.  Then in 2021, the greatest challenge in recent memory became the greatest opportunity for arts learning initiatives.

Pandemic-related school closures introduced unprecedented learning loss to South Carolina students over two school years.

The American Rescue Plan made funding available to all states to assist in addressing any number of crises, and the SCDE was allotted $2 billion in ARP Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding. The SCAC approached SCDE with a radical idea: we can prove arts learning increases student engagement, it is what students needs to get through this, and we can help address learning loss with arts and creativity using the ABC Institute as a key partner. Superintendent Molly Spearman agreed, and South Carolina turned heads again in June 2021: SCDE committed $20 million over three years to help the SCAC expand ABC Institute and other initiatives using key partners on the local, state, and national levels. “Having the rich history of success with ABC made it easy to sell our idea, but it was only part of the plan for what we now call Arts Grow SC,” Platts said. “It’s after-school learning. It’s summer camps. Eventually, we hope for even more, and all of it uses arts-rich learning.”

RELATED HUB CONTENT: Arts Grow SC to expand, first executive director named


ABC Institute continues to grow and innovate thanks to unprecedented funding.

The Certification designation recognizes model practices of what arts learning can be and how it contributes to student development and achievement. As Wilson explained, “ABC Certified Schools serve as a model for others. ABC Schools commit to not only their students but sharing their work for the benefit of all SC students.” Through Arts Grow SC, ABC Schools have offered themselves as ‘learning laboratories” for others to learn how to leverage the power of learning in and through the arts for accelerated learning. Thanks to the new structure, anyone can access the Arts in Basic Curriculum mobile app and connect to the ABC network. “Our peer-to-peer networking has always been a strength, and now we are putting that in the palm of a teacher’s hand.” Wilson said. From its base at Winthrop University, a team of professionals dedicated to the erstwhile “project” with a steadfast vision of equitable access to quality arts education for all students, continues its work. To learn more about ABC Institute, its programs, and opportunity to learn from its network of leadership, visit www.abcinstitutesc.org.
South Carolina Arts Commission News Release, Media Contact: Jason L. Rapp, Communications Director. jrapp@arts.sc.gov or 803.734.8899

Jason Rapp

Anthony Quinn Foundation offers scholarships for high school students interested in the arts

  1. CONSENT FORM DEADLINE: Wednesday, November 30, 2022
  2. APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, January 6, 2023

The Anthony Quinn Foundation announces the opening of the application period for the 2023 Scholarship Program.

Modeled after the personal experience of Anthony Quinn, the scholarship program distributes funds for high school students interested in the arts who wish to attend a pre-college, or summer intensive arts education program. Students from around the world are invited to apply and must be enrolled in high school or officially registered as a home-schooled high school student. Applications are reviewed by a panel of judges, all professional artists or art educators and independent of the foundation’s board of directors. Each applicant must provide a recommendation from a teacher, advisor, or other adult outside the applicant’s family, as well as a parent/guardian consent form by Wednesday, November 30, 2022. A completed application, personal statement, and work samples must be submitted by Friday, January 6, 2023. Winners are selected based on a list of criteria developed using the highest standards of excellence and integrity. The criteria incorporate elements of talent, personal dedication, and financial need. Winners will be notified by April 17, 2023. To learn more about the program and our past scholarship winners, visit https://aqfoundation.org/scholarships.

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Applications open for tuition-free, arts-immersive S.C. high school

SCGSAH also offers junior high programming

APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 13, 2023 (residential high school)

The South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, a public, residential high school for artistically talented students, is now accepting applications for the 2023/2024 school year and arts-immersive, overnight summer programs.

All South Carolina residents in grades 6-11 are eligible to apply online at SCGSAH.org. Students who enjoy creative writing, drama, music and visual arts can explore their interests in the one-week Arts Odyssey program for current 7th and 8th graders. The Arts Odyssey music program is offering new specialty sessions including Ensemble Immersion workshops, Solo Intensives, Jazz Improvisation and Songwriting and Composition. Current ninth-grade students who desire a more intensive, pre-professional experience can attend the two-week Academy program. This summer, the Governor’s School is also offering a new two-week program, Introduction to Filmmaking, for 7th and 8th-grade students with an interest in screenwriting and film production. Students interested in dance can attend the two-week Dance Immersion program or the five-week Summer Dance intensive program. In the nationally renowned, tuition-free, Residential High School, students receive pre-professional training in creative writing, dance, drama, music and visual arts. They explore and refine their talents in a one-of-a-kind, arts-centered community while receiving a high school education that has been nationally recognized by U.S. News and World Report, The Washington Post, The Daily Beast and Niche. The Governor’s School’s SAT and ACT scores consistently rank above state and national averages, and many students receive arts and academic scholarships to the most prestigious colleges, universities and conservatories. The reviews and rankings site, Niche.com, ranked the Governor’s School as the third “Best College Prep High School” and the fourth “Best Public High School” in South Carolina. Interested students can apply online at SCGSAH.org.
  • The priority deadline for Arts Odyssey, Dance Immersion and Introduction to Filmmaking is December 19.
  • The priority deadline for Academy, Summer Dance and the Residential High School is January 13, 2023.
Applications will still be received after these deadlines until all openings are filled. Financial assistance is available for all programs through the Governor’s School Foundation. The Governor’s School invites all interested families to come to campus in downtown Greenville for Go Govie! Day on November 5 to learn more about their programs and explore the specialized arts studios, state-of-the-art performance halls, world-class library and dedicated rehearsal spaces. Register at SCGSAH.org/go-govie-day.
Located in Greenville, the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities (SCGSAH) cultivates young artists from across the state through pre-professional training in the areas of creative writing, dance, drama, music and visual arts. In the public, residential high school, students refine their talents in a master-apprentice community while receiving a nationally recognized academic education. Summer programs are available to rising 7th-12th grade students, and SCGSAH serves as a resource to all teachers and students in South Carolina, offering comprehensive outreach programs designed to bring together artists, educators, community organizations and schools. SCGSAH.org | Follow @SCGSAH on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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Assessing arts-integrated lessons: a webinar

Tools so teaching artists don't lose sleep

So, you've done what it takes to establish yourself as a teaching artist.

[caption id="attachment_49234" align="alignright" width="175"]Promo photo of Jef Lambdin juggling and wearing a red clown nose. Jef Lambdin, photo by George Loudon.[/caption] Through the Art Grow SC webinar series...
  • You got the nuts and bolts of it.
  • You drilled down on the 2017 South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Standards in Teaching Artistry.
  • You marketed yourself.
  • You landed a residency or other engagement.
How do you know it's all working?  Authentically assessing an integrated lesson can be a challenge to teaching artists. How do you know when your students know, or can do, what you taught them? Don't lose sleep. Round 4 of the #ArtsGrowSC webinar series “Being a Teaching Artist” can help. During this afternoon webinar, we will examine the very best assessment resources for you as a teaching artist: from rubrics to checklists to ideas and more in order to implement authentic arts integration assessments with ease. Facilitator and teaching artist Jef Lambdin returns to walk you through it.
  • Webinar 4: Assessing Arts-Integrated Lessons Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022: 4-5:30 p.m.
Further topics include how to persist through roadblocks and how to make sure your message is consistent, a critical brand element. Click here to register now via Zoom. | Connect with this event on Facebook.
The "Being a Teaching Artist" series is a free resource from the South Carolina Arts Commission and Arts Grow SC.

Jason Rapp

Arts Grow SC partner uses drama techniques to motivate young readers

Spark is presented by the S.C. Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities

Elementary school students struggling to meet reading benchmarks in will now have additional support thanks to a three-year, Arts Grow SC grant of $3.7 million to expand an arts education program called Spark.

Administered by the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, this regional outreach program uses drama strategies to improve reading engagement and motivation, as well as creative and divergent thinking among students. Spark’s teaching artists will work with students in Calhoun, Florence, Richland, and Williamsburg counties throughout the school year. Additional schools will be added over the next two years as the program progresses. “Hundreds of third grade students are identified through Read to Succeed each year as being in need of additional support,” said Carol Baker, director of outreach and community engagement at the Governor’s School. “We know that meaningful connections are made for children when they learn through the arts, and the unique relationship between drama, storytelling and reading is showing promising trends in our research.” In 2018, the school partnered with the South Carolina Arts Commission and University of South Carolina Department of Theatre and Dance to examine the potential impact that the Spark drama curriculum had on reading motivation and success for young children. The program was piloted in Williamsburg County as a summer camp for at-risk readers through the state-mandated Read to Succeed Act. Based on encouraging early trends, within three years Spark had expanded into Jasper County and received national recognition with the Research Initiative-Institution Award from Arts Schools Network. Through Spark, actor-teachers empower students to bring stories and characters to life using basic acting tools. “When students can use their imaginations to create movements, gestures, voices and settings, books become more than just words and images on a page. They become a lived experience that students can connect with on a personal and emotional level,” explained Baker. The Governor’s School hired multiple theatre teaching artists to coordinate curriculum and provide long term drama residencies in select schools throughout South Carolina. These actor-teachers will provide partnering schools with classroom and group drama services that include co-teaching and arts integration experiences. Spark will also provide guest artist visits, performances, and professional learning opportunities for teachers, along with continued support for summer Read to Succeed camps. There are no costs to partnering schools or school districts for participating in Spark. With this recent grant, Spark is now supported by Arts Grow SC, which is funded by the SCAC and the South Carolina Department of Education through American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) funds. “While I am not surprised by the positive impact Spark is having on students, I am overjoyed to see the support and acknowledgement that this program has received from participating school districts, the South Carolina Department of Education and the South Carolina Arts Commission, and we are very grateful for that,” said Cedric Adderley, Governor’s School president. “It is through these kinds of strategic funding partnerships that we have the best chance to reach students in a meaningful way.” According to Baker, “With these funds Spark will evolve and grow exponentially—from serving only summer camp students to serving students year-round, expanding over three years to reach up to 30 schools. We will also have an opportunity to work with younger students to intervene at an earlier age, which is important for long term success. We are incredibly fortunate to have this opportunity through Arts Grow SC.” Learn more about the Spark program and employment opportunities at https://www.scgsah.org/spark.
About South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities Located in Greenville, the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities cultivates young artists from across the state through pre-professional training in the areas of creative writing, dance, drama, music and visual arts. In the public, residential high school, students refine their talents in an arts-centered community while receiving a nationally recognized academic education. Summer programs are available to rising 7th-12th grade students. The Governor’s School serves as a resource to all teachers and students in South Carolina, offering comprehensive outreach programs designed to bring together artists, educators, community organizations and schools. SCGSAH.org

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