Arts-Infusion Conference, Princeton University
BY: Eileen Catalano, Ocean Academy

Several of the Ocean Academy staff had the opportunity to attend a three day conference, Educational Leaders as Scholars, sponsored by the Foundation for Educational Administration, New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation in Partnership with the Program for Teacher Preparation, Princeton University.

The focus of this conference was to bring arts infusion into what are typically non-arts areas by having students learn core concepts and develop a deeper understanding of those concepts and their connection to the arts. Instead of students demonstrating understanding through mere fact recall, learning takes place through student “performances” through the art forms of music, visual arts, dance, theater arts and creative writing. Using these creative processes learning becomes exciting, engaging, hands on and long lasting.

Experts in the field such as; Trevor Bryan, Teacher and Creator of The Art of Comprehension, Adam Scribner, Science Professional Development Specialist, Stevens Institute of Technology, Peggy Valenti, FEA Consultant, George Maull, Artistic Director, The Discovery Orchestra, and Cheryl Hulteen, Author of Yes Yes Good: The HeART of Teaching and Master Teaching Artist, along with countless other experts presented workshops that explained, demonstrated and called for artistic forms of participation by those attending. Staff also had the opportunity to speak with districts who had participated in previous conferences and learn about different ways they are infusing the arts into their curriculum. Ocean Academy is honored and excited to have been chosen to participate in this conference and look forward to working with our “coach”, Mary Mavroudas to develop an arts infused curriculum at Ocean Academy.