Elementary students are capable of extraordinary leadership, service, and artistic excellence when given meaningful opportunities to shine. This session shares the journey of piloting a new National Elementary Art Honor Society designed to recognize young artists while fostering creativity, citizenship, school pride, and community service. Workshop is presented by four NEAHS Pilot Program leaders from Georgia.
ArtEffect is a movement initiated by the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. Through the Unsung Hero Project, students learn about individuals who had a significant impact on society, but haven't been acknowledged in history. Through art integration, students are able to explore the lives and contributions of these role models and bring their inspiring stories to light. Attendees will learn how to implement an ArtEffect unit in their classrooms and communities. Resources provided include lesson plans, group and individual activities for students, community outreach examples, and the Unsung Hero Directory.
Bring a lesson, take several! This is a group presentation where each teacher brings their favorite lesson to share, by the end of the session you will share once and gain multiple lessons from other teachers. You can share QR codes, printouts, Google Drive links, etc. Send your shareable to: [email protected] or [email protected] to be added to the shared presentation slides.
is presentation is not about turning art class into a game; it is about asking what teachers can learn from game designers about structure, choice, challenge, and creative participation. The central idea is simple: curriculum is the game we design for learning. Using game design as a playful metaphor for curriculum planning, participants will examine how goals, rules, materials, constraints, feedback, and student choice can help learners explore, experiment, take risks, and make meaningful artistic decisions.
Get ready to celebrate the most wonderful, COLORFUL time of the year with fresh ideas and creative energy centered around this year’s YAM theme, “Your Community, Your Story.” Participants will enjoy a make-and-take lesson that’s designed to amplify student voice through meaningful connections. Discover fun, impactful ways to advocate for your art program while planning exciting, community-driven events that bring everyone together. Whether you're new to YAM or a seasoned pro, you’ll leave inspired and ready to create a vibrant, unforgettable celebration!
In this hands‑on workshop, participants will explore how Artsonia empowers students to make their mark through creative‑ish lessons, process‑focused documentation, and legacy‑building community projects. Attendees will engage in a guided Artsonia upload demo, design a mini lesson incorporating process documentation, and collaborate on a legacy‑project brainstorm. Participants should bring a mobile device or laptop; the presenter requires Wi‑Fi access, a projector, and one power outlet. No fees are required.
Participants will explore how art, storytelling, and STEM intersect through the creation of illuminated paper circuit artwork using conductive tape and LED stickers from Chibitronics®. In this hands-on workshop, educators will design and build interactive artworks that literally “make their mark” by lighting up through simple circuitry concepts. Participants will learn foundational paper circuit techniques, experiment with creative design solutions, and leave with a completed light-up artwork and ideas for adapting the process across grade levels and content areas.
In my workshop, we will explore the ACEO (Artist Card, Editions, and Originals). While the artist trading card has been around for a while, the demand for human made, original artwork has risen in the face of AI and an increasingly digital world. Some artists are leaning into, and even making their entire livelihood of of ACEOs especially in a time of financial hardship. We will talk about the commonly accepted “rules” of ACEOs, how they are sold on the internet, talk about ways to implement this into an art class, and we will even make our own to trade with others at the end of the workshop.
Move away from "perfect print" anxiety and explore the inherently experimental aspects of Gelli monoprints. Participants will produce 8 - 10 prints using a variety of techniques and then use some of those to create individual mixed media art as well as one collaborative work. I will to need tables to work on, outlets for hairdryers and water for cleanup. All materials will be provided.
Explosion books combine paper engineering with creative storytelling, resulting in, interactive books that "explode" into a series of square and triangular pages, revealing hidden content when opened. The lesson teaches students how to create an "all about me" book utilizing a variety of media and techniques.
Freeform crochet is all about letting go of patterns and jumping into intuitive, creative making, and this workshop is the perfect place to try it. Beginners are absolutely welcome as you explore how to build shapes freely, mix stitches, play with texture, and create work that grows in unexpected and exciting ways. Come ready to experiment, relax into the process, and discover a style of crochet that feels expressive, personal, and fun.
Once you've done traditional block printing, what do you do with the blocks? We'll play with leftover blocks to create collages, bookmarks, monoprints and more. This is a great way to reuse materials and could even work well for fundraising!
Create an original figure sculpture from easy to find materials and a pair of scissors. Through the practice of character design and storytelling, participants will develop an original character and review basic human proportions. In addition to the development of the figure, ideas for extensions and advanced students will be shared for successful implementation into your curriculum.
Explore ideas and strategies for improving your program! Sometimes advocacy feels daunting, but you can build relationships and develop proposals to help you school program or any project you are working on. We will go over how to utilize recent laws and data dashboards to add validity to your ideas!
There’s no single “right” way to interpret an object. This session embraces creative-ish freedom through object-based learning strategies that encourage curiosity, open-ended inquiry, and multiple perspectives, helping educators create space for exploration, wonder, and student-driven meaning making.
The written word sparks students’ imagination and encourages them to see the world through a creative lens. Join us for this workshop as we open the books of our Keynote, Peter H Reynolds, and explore the possibilities for creating an engaging creative experience for our students, both young and old.
Come create a polymer clay Pocket Pal! Find out how we had our pre-K students and middle school students collaborate to design and create miniature creatures to support our little ones with their biggest feelings. Materials provided.
Join us for a hands-on introductory lesson for felting techniques. 2D and 3D variations with lesson options and material suggestions will be taught and 2 lesson samples will be made and available to take home.
A strong presentation for teachers on how to publish articles, student work, and lesson ideas should be practical, inspiring, and give them immediate next steps. I am an experienced educator with published work in SchoolArts Magazine; my perspective could make this especially powerful.
Explore the rich connections between artistic and scientific thinking in this interactive session. Through open-ended artmaking and reflective discussion, participants will examine how choice-based classrooms can function as both studios and labs, spaces of observation, experimentation, and discovery. Leave with flexible ideas and strategies that bridge creative and critical inquiry.
In this hands-on workshop, participants will explore creativity, problem-solving, and artistic risk-taking through a simple yet engaging sketchbook activity called "Dot, Dot, Make A Lot." Using a paper filled with dots, participants will create original artwork by choosing to connect, transform, incorporate, or intentionally avoid the dots as part of their design. This open-ended activity encourages creative thinking, personal expression, and the discovery of how simple starting points can lead to limitless artistic possibilities.
Come and learn about Georgia's Dot Man, George Andrews. Participants will learn about the life and work of George Andrews and get to create work inspired by his style.
Your first year of teaching can be eye-opening, challenging, and inspiring - all in one class period! This workshop explores what I learned during my first year of teaching, including teacher calm-down-corners, boundary setting, and classroom organization. Other new teachers are invited to come and share their own experiences as part of this workshop. This workshop is designed with Year 1-3 Teachers in mind, but all are welcome.
Mentoring Matters will share practical teaching strategies, professional wisdom, and lots of creative service learning lessons learned throughout a career! Designed for teachers at every stage, this session celebrates the power of mentorship, collaboration, and lifelong growth in art education. And we’ll make stuff too!
Hand Sculpture Slices: Anatomy and This presentation features a simple modeling-clay hand sculpture project where participants can review basic anatomy while learning fundamental sculpting techniques with modeling clay. The project helps develop spatial reasoning, observation, problem-solving, craftsmanship, creativity, and other essential artistic skills through a straightforward and engaging sculptural process Sculpting Techniques.
You may use sprig molds all the time in your classroom, but do you ever get to make your own? Enjoy making a small, personal sprig mold to use over and over again!
Explore methods for manipulating charcoals to create a quick completed masterpiece. With a focus on textures and values, begin with drawing trees and landscapes, learning to manipulate the medium to a more advanced focal point assignment which mixes charcoal with watercolor.
During this hands-on workshop, participants will create a landscape with needle felted wool fibers. Layering wool fibers to complete the finished landscape they will leave with a finished art teacher sample and the confidence to use these alternative methods in their classroom. Standards alignment, classroom management for the project, and assessment options will also be discussed.
The art room has always been where creativity, problem-solving, communication, and resilience are built. Now, more than ever, that work matters. In this session, you will hear a compelling, research-backed case for why visual art education belongs at the center of every school's future-ready investment, participate in an art-making experience, and leave equipped with a classroom-ready lesson and a strategy to activate parents as advocates for your program.
Fear is one of the most powerful forces working against creative growth — and art teachers are not immune. In this workshop, you will explore the nature of creative fear and walk away with a personal action plan for doing the one scary creative thing you’ve been putting off. Through honest conversation, practical frameworks, and a hands-on activity, you’ll leave with tools you can use yourself and bring straight back to your students. Participants: Please bring a journal or paper, a pen or pencil, and any art supplies that feel personal to your practice. A handout will be provided by the presenter.
Inspired by the work of Nick Cave, participants will explore how sculpture, sound, and personal expression can amplify student voice and help students make their mark. Attendees will learn about Cave's Sound Suits, examine classroom connections to identity and self-expression, and create a miniature Sound Suit sculpture using mixed-media materials while experiencing a lesson that can be adapted for a variety of grade levels.
Workshop activities include a brief artist introduction, discussion of student voice and artistic messaging, hands-on construction of a miniature Sound Suit sculpture, and sharing of student examples/ideas for classroom implementation. Requested room needs include tables, chairs, projector/screen, and access to electrical outlets. All materials will be provided. Participant fee: $10.
We will be presenting a lesson on creating maracas using clay! In this lesson we will dive into how to create the base maraca shape from simple pinch pots, and how to manipulate the shape and add additional details to transform it into something new. This lesson can easily be differentiated for a variety of skill levels, and includes excellent cross- curriculum connections to science as we explore how the size and shape of our maracas affects the sound they create. Each participant will receive our slides presentation and resources for this lesson, as well as the opportunity to create their own clay maraca.
This hands-on workshop will share the beauty of Joomchi, a Korean paper making process. Participants will explore developi9ng compositions using cut and torn edges of mulberry papers layered together to create unique collaged pieces.
In this hands-on workshop, participants will design and build a roaring T Rex clothespin automata, combining art, engineering, and simple mechanical principles. Using a wooden clothespin, cardstock, craft materials, and basic linkages, participants will create a moving dinosaur whose mouth opens and closes when the clothespin is pressed. Throughout the activity, participants will explore how simple machines and mechanical motion can bring characters to life while developing creativity, problem-solving skills, and fine motor abilities. The workshop encourages experimentation with design, color, and movement, allowing each participant to personalize their T. rex while learning fundamental concepts of automata and kinetic art.
From censored exhibitions to public backlash, this session shares powerful classroom stories from around the world. Learn how to guide controversial student work with confidence, clarity, and care while centering responsibility and student safeguarding. Gain practical tools to support creative risk-taking while navigating cultural context, institutional expectations, and real-world consequences.
What happens when fine arts educators collaborate to reach students who may be disconnected from school and he arts? This presentation explores how k-12 art and music teachers can build partnerships that increase participation and retention and spark creativity in low-engagement student populations and communities.
Students scroll past images, ads, memes, AI-generated content, and misinformation every day, but many are less prepared to question what they see than they realize. This presentation shares classroom-based research and practical artmaking prompts that help students slow down, analyze online media, and visualize their own relationships with smartphones, social media, manipulation, anxiety, and trust. Participants will leave with adaptable strategies for using visual analysis, discussion, reflection, and artmaking to make critical media literacy feel relevant in the art room.
PBL - Project Based Learning opportunities are available around every corner. This presentation will give examples of how to identify the opportunities, building a framework for student engagement and the roles of adult stakeholders in guiding student success. Having success over the past few years at establishing and facilitating PBL opportunities both in the classroom and in the community, I will present what works, what works better and some of the pitfalls. No fee
This session looks at the messy reality of elementary classroom management and shares real, field-tested strategies to quietly lower defenses, protect student dignity, and turn your classroom into a safe haven where students want to listen. We will walk through an outline that shows you how to project a calm baseline when a class goes chaotic, how to hit the emergency brake to fix a failing lesson in real time, and how to offer quick, low-stakes compromises that stop work refusal in its tracks. Ultimately, you'll leave with an actionable blueprint to reclaim your peace of mind and bring a predictable calm back to your day. (No fees)
Go beyond the classroom walls and discover how murals can transform school spaces into vibrant, student-centered learning environments. This session will share real-world experiences and practical strategies for creating impactful school murals, advocating for compensation for mural projects completed outside of contract time, and involving students in meaningful collaborative artwork. Learn how murals can strengthen school culture, celebrate community, and leave a lasting visual legacy that enriches the educational experience for all.
“Teacher, what do I do?... And where do I find…?” If you are an art teacher and these questions drive you crazy, you’re not alone! My name is Brandy Ruhl and I have been an elementary art teacher for 24 years, but my passion has been rooted in the T.A.B./C.H.O.I.C.E philosophy for the past 17 years. I describe my teaching style as “teaching on the choice spectrum,” but this workshop is designed with all art teachers in mind. I will cover tips/tricks/hacks to manage art media and procedures that will save your time and sanity while actually helping your students learn to become more self-sufficient and community-focused.
