Connected Arts Networks - An Exciting EdTA Partnership
The Connected Arts Networks (CAN) project is a partnership with the National Art Education Association, the National Association for Music Education, the National Dance Education Organization and New York City Public Schools that focuses on professional learning communities supported with rich professional development focused on teacher practice, leadership and agency across three areas:
- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- Social and Emotional Learning
- Educator Leadership
The CAN grant project is aligned with the EdTA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan and recent work to build an SEL Lesson Plan Library model lesson plan embedded with SEL instruction. The project will began in October 2021 and will continue through September of 2026 spanning the following school years:
- 2021-2022 (Start up, Orientation, Training and Implementation)
- 2022-2023 (First Professional Learning Community Cohort trains and practices)
- 2023-2024 (Second layer of Professional Learning Communities formed)
- 2024-2025 (Professional Learning Communities Deepen)
- 2025-2026 (Sustainability, Documentation & Dissemination)
Program activities for this project are fully funded through the U.S. Department of Education’s Assistance for Arts Education Program.
Phase One - Teacher Leaders
In phase one of the grant, teacher leaders were chosen through an extensive application process to join the first cohort. Teacher leaders spent a year training in strategies for diversity, equity and inclusion and social and emotional learning in addition to leadership training. In year three of this grant project, they will take on leadership of professional learning communities, growing our network of impact across the nation.