Creating a Community for All Learners – Reimagining Standards through Centering Students
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In Summer of 2024, a panel of experts representing dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts educators studied the 2014 National Arts Standards through the lens of culturally responsive teaching and student-centered instruction. Their work culminated in the a white paper filled with strategies for culturally responsive teaching, strategies to avoid ableism and strategies to center student voice and choice when using the standards, along with some thoughtful comments for any future standards revisions. During this webinar, one of the expert panelists, Estella Owoimaha-Church, will share some theatre specific strategies for culturally responsive, student centered teaching.
Estella Owoimaha-Church
Estella Owoimaha-Church is a first-generation Angeleno, deeply connected to her heritage with roots in Samoa and Nigeria. Most recently, she served as the Executive Director of Empowering Pacific Islander Communities(EPIC) and has nearly two decades of experience as an educator and organizer. Notably, she was the first Samoan named a finalist for the Global Teacher Prize in 2017 and was recognized as California Theatre Teacher of the Year in 2020.Her commitment to social justice and equity is evidenced by her previous roles as chair of the California Teachers Association's inaugural Racial Equity Steering Committee and secretary of the National Education Association's Asian & Pacific Islander Caucus. Estella founded Education Ensemble to provide safe spaces for youth to create art as direct-action and co-created EN-ACT, an online network for global educators promoting best practices in arts integration and social-emotional learning. An advocate for marginalized youth, Estella speaks internationally on pressing education and racial justice issues. Her transformative approach to education highlights her dedication to nurturing the next generation of world-builders. Estella Owoimaha-Church has been featured by CBS, CNN, Global Citizen, Education Post, The Daily Breeze, and The New York Times.
Alexis Truitt
Alexis Truitt is the Executive Director of the American Alliance for Theater & Education (AATE). Prior to her time with AATE she was the Program Coordinator for the Changing Education Through the Arts (CETA) Program at the Kennedy Center. She holds her Masters in Arts Management from George Mason University and her Bachelors of Music in voice from The Boston Conservatory. She has had the opportunity to intern with the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, English National Opera, and was an Allen Lee Hughes Fellow at Arena Stage. She also volunteers with The St. Mark’s Players, where she has had the opportunity to wear many hats--including Board Member, Treasurer, Director of Community Engagement, and served as the Artistic Director for the past 6 years.