Updated 7.17.24
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE | 13
and teacher voices in the community , tying curricular goals to Wisconsin State and Common Core Standards , and providing dynamic field trip opportunities , Rep programming has had a statistically significant impact on student literacy , SEL development , and theater appreciation in MPS schools . Join Rep Associate Director of Education , Zach Woods , for discussion , brainstorming , and interactive activities that highlight the potential power of teaching artists to promote empathy and confidence in your community schools .
Illuminating Characters with Disabilities : Good , Better , and Best Practices Track : Playwriting Presenters : Jeff Jenkins & Dr . John Newman Location : Lucerne 1 & 2 ( Lucerne Level ) – Swissotel Chicago
Disabled characters have been under-represented in the plays we write and direct . When they are presented , it is not always in the best light possible . The presenters will highlight examples of two new plays and a production of Romeo and Juliet featuring a major Deaf character and integrated ASL into the world of the play . Presenters will offer a model of good , better , and best practices in presenting disabled characters leading participants through a small-group process of adapting a play in a way that embraces and illuminates disabled characters .
Nurturing Strong Branches of Accessibility : Smartest Touring to Public Schools Track : College / University Presenters : Roxanne Schroeder-Arce , Ishu & Mateo Hernandez Location : Alpine 1 ( Lucerne Level ) – Swissotel Chicago
In the fall of 2023 , The University of Texas at Austin ’ s Department of Theatre & Dance produced a touring production of Miriam Gonzales ’ “ The Smartest Girl in the World ” as a part of their mainstage season . Director Roxanne Schroeder-Arce , Dramaturg / Education Coordinator Mateo Hernandez , and Assistant Director Ishu lead this workshop on the importance of touring Theatre for Young Audiences to elementary schools . Presenters will use UT ’ s production of Smartest Girl as a case study to analyze audience demographics in schools , touring / production logistics , educational and community engagement tools and strategies , and the function of the production as a class that was offered for course credit . Actors and members of the education team participated in reflective journals and learning activities throughout the semester to engage with the questions of : Why is TYA important ? Why this story to Austin elementary schools ? How do I connect to this story ? How is the impact of touring different from that of production in a theatre ? Folks who have experience with touring TYA or are interested in touring are welcome to attend and join this conversation !
Participatory Action Research for Climate Change Resilience : Arts-integrated climate change curriculum in K-12 education Tracks : College / University , PreK-8 , Research / Scholarship Presenters : Lara Dossett & Walker Zupan Location : Bianco - 318 ( 3 rd Floor ) – Swissotel Chicago
We propose sharing our 2023 PAR Project for Climate Change Resilience , a professional learning project for K-12 educators and university faculty / students focused on the development of arts-integrated youth participatory action research ( PAR ) curriculum . This research project was a partnership between UT Austin ’ s Planet Texas 2050 and Drama for Schools ( DFS ) and four local schools . Our collective work was grounded in PAR scholarship ( Cammorata & Fine , 2008 ; Fielding , 2004 ; Ginwright et al ., 2006 ; Zavala , 2013 ; among others ) which argues that educational research should center teachers ’ and students ’ experiences as the key driver for educational change . During the PAR Project , educators were first introduced to arts practices including digital storytelling , Living Newspaper , and visual art installation . Then , each participating teacher was supported to design a transdisciplinary unit ( embedded in E / LA , science , social studies curriculum ) that used the arts to activate young people ’ s relational knowledge about the climate to understand , interrogate , compare , and share their experience and standpoint on the local climate crisis with their community . Specifically , we used the arts to foreground affect as a way to process overwhelming climate change and its environmental