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The Flynn Center for Performing Arts
The Integrated Arts Academy began its partnership with the Flynn Center in 2008, building on the Flynn's relationship with H.O. Wheeler since 1987. The Flynn has been a fundamental and strategic partner of the IAA, offering courses and workshops for teachers in arts integration, often in conjunction with St. Michael's College, since the IAA initiative began. Each year IAA staff members collaborate with Flynn professional teaching artists through the Flynn's "Words Come Alive!" program, to create lessons and units interweaving theater and dance into other content areas. Through this professional experience, IAA teachers continue to grow in their understanding and expertise of arts integration.
The Flynn also raises funds to help support IAA students' attendance at the Flynn's Student Matinee Series, and provide companion workshops for the students actively preparing them for the shows and extending upon them. Because of their exemplary partnership, the Flynn Center and the Burlington Schools are members of The Kennedy Center's prestigious national network Partners in Education
Burlington City Arts has been working with the Integrated Arts Academy since its opening in 2009, initially providing access to its professional studio spaces for teacher and student workshops, tours of exhibitions BCA Center, and general support as it began the process of becoming a magnet school. In the fall of 2012, Burlington City Arts began working with the Integrated Arts Academy and VSA Vermont to bring Arts Connect into IAA classrooms. Art Connects’ purpose is to further support the IAA’s transformation into an arts magnet school by providing teachers and artists with professional development in integrated arts curriculum delivery, and by providing enhanced opportunities for student engagement in the classroom through the arts. Each school year, Arts Connect places teaching artists in residencies at the Integrated Arts Academy for approximately 18-24 weeks.
Teaching artists and IAA classroom teachers work together closely to plan art projects that support curriculum units across all areas of study-such as clay tile murals and science, themed photo journals and geometry, and printed books and writing. Teaching artists are trained in integrated arts and multi-modal curriculum delivery through a professional development program designed in partnership with VSA Vermont, the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, and Saint Michael’s College. Throughout the year, BCA’s Education Director works closely with IAA’s Arts Coach and teaching artists to ensure the Arts Connect program runs smoothly and to make scholarships for BCA’s youth programs and summer camps accessible to IAA students, as well as works with IAA’s art teacher to coordinate the Annual Children’s Art Exhibition and Awards Ceremony in March.
VSA Vermont is a nonprofit that uses the magic of the arts to engage the capabilities and enhance the confidence of children and adults with disabilities. Our focus at the Integrated Arts Academy is on inclusive teaching methods in the arts.
VSA Vermont began integrating arts into the Studying Towards English Proficiency (STEP) classroom at the H.O.Wheeler School in 2006, and continues to support this work at IAA, using puppetry in literacy lessons specifically for students who are at beginning levels of English Language competency. VSA Vermont has presented after school writing classes, and early morning drumming classes, in addition to other artist embedded opportunities at IAA.
VSA Vermont initiated the Arts Connect Program, each year presenting a 3-credit graduate level course for teaching artists in arts integration and universal design for learning. Artists from all of the IAA Arts Partners may enroll in this course, accredited by St. Michael's College, for which the IAA is a laboratory for classroom observations and curriculum planning.
The Vermont Arts Council supports the work of the Integrated Arts Academy through a variety of collaborative efforts including the Arts Connect professional development program, teaching artists residencies at the school, and the development of evaluation models to quantify the schools success. The Arts Council believes that the Integrated Arts Academy provides a unique and inspiring example of the ways in which the arts and community collaboration can increase student achievement in both school and life. Through its partnership with IAA, the Vermont Arts Council seeks to share statewide the best-practices in arts integration found at the school
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As a part of an effort to expand and intensify its educational outreach, Young Tradition Vermont (YTV) has focused its public school partnership activities at the Integrated Arts Academy. We collaborate on a variety of traditional music and dance activities, with YTV contributing a variety of financial, personnel and expertise resources. YTV's Instrument Petting Zoo is stored in the music room at IAA, which allows for access to all instruments for instruction at the school. Visiting artists associated with YTV do presentations during Friday Town Meetings approximately once a month. YTV sponsors several before and after school programs including African drumming with Ismael Bangoura, Ukulele with Brian Perkins, and singing with Sophia Donforth. YTV has organized and supported a dance residency with Mary Wesley, as part of an attempt to link music and dance activities with a New Neighbors curriculum that was developed in partnership with the Vermont Folklife Center in Middlebury, Vt. YTV supports IAA students to attend its annual Trad Camp in July through its scholarship program. YTV has helped provide funding for many of these activities and linkages with other funding sources, including the Greene Fiddle Loan Program, the Nelson Family Foundation, the Turrell Fund, and the Vermont Community Foundation. The successes of the first year at IAA has inspired YTV to expand to other public schools in the future as well as to sustain and grow what has been accomplished at IAA.
As a part of an effort to expand and intensify its educational outreach, Young Tradition Vermont (YTV) has focused its public school partnership activities at the Integrated Arts Academy. We collaborate on a variety of traditional music and dance activities, Very Merry Theatre (VMT) has been working with the Integrated Arts Academy since its formation in 2009. Prior to that, VMT had been producing the school musical at H.O. Wheeler School for several years. VMT works with students in multiple grade levels to foster theater skills, literacy, storytelling, expression, self-confidence, community building, and a sense of belonging through the process of creating theater. VMT casts without concern for race or ethnicity and often even gender. For most productions, students are given one of their top three choices of roles and everyone gets dialogue and the opportunity to sing a solo if they desire one.
VMT has adapted many classic stories into musicals and has worked with several IAA staff members to write original scripts. This allows for the creation of many meaningful roles rather than just a few starring roles and promotes greater exploration of the story through themes, ideas, relationships, genres, etc. Students are also encouraged to participate in other aspects of the theater, which includes set design, costumes, and makeup. For the past several years, VMT has been working with the teachers and staff at IAA to integrated theater into the curriculum and yet still put on a fun show for the community. Many former IAA students have continued to participate in VMT shows throughout their middle and high school years.
Saint Michael’s College together with the Flynn Center helped conceive the transition of H.O. Wheeler Elementary School into an Arts Magnet school now known as the Integrated Arts Academy. In partnership with the Flynn Center, Saint Michaels College developed graduate level professional development courses and workshops to help teachers and staff to become familiar with the theory and practice of integrating arts into curriculum and subsequently work through the critical transition to an arts magnet school.
Saint Michael’s College is committed to integrating arts into the requirements of all elementary licensure candidates. Subsequently, our partnership extends to Saint
Michaels students who gain invaluable experience at the Integrated Arts Academy
during a curriculum practicum and then, for a few, through student teaching with
master teachers. (We are thrilled that the Integrated Arts Academy employs many
Saint Michael’s College graduates). The Integrated Arts Academy students are
invited to special events at the college such as the recent Arch building workshop
with Thea Alvin.
Saint Michael’s College and the Integrated Arts Academy share the mission of transforming teacher education so the arts become an integral part of education and where every educator finds the artist within to gain the confidence and commitment to nurture the creativity, imagination, and passion for each of their students.
Saint Michael’s College and the Integrated Arts Academy share the mission of transforming teacher education so the arts become an integral part of education and where every educator finds the artist within to gain the confidence and commitment to nurture the creativity, imagination, and passion for each of their students.
Our mission at the Center for Service and Civic Engagement is to serve as a liaison between Champlain College and the Burlington community. Through various efforts, we hope to involve our students in their local community, and in turn, help the community increase its capacity to serve its residents. We believe that pre-K through 12th grade is one of our greatest levers because of the unparalleled transformational power of youth. We are here to serve "our" Burlington youth. The Integrated Arts Academy does just this - with their socioeconomic model and arts infused curriculum, they offer their students opportunities for growth and creativity, regardless of race, gender or socioeconomic standing. Our partnership with them aims to combine our efforts towards achieving the aforementioned goals.
The Fleming Museum of Art has been sharing its resources as a partner with the Integrated Arts Academy since IAA’s inception as an arts magnet school, using the Museum’s culturally diverse collections and special exhibitions to engage and inspire IAA students to learn about the world.
Through the generous support of the Fleming’s late benefactor, Dr. Burnett Rawson, IAA students explore the arts both within and outside of the school setting. At the Museum, students have direct encounters with art and artifacts to explore themes in a variety of content areas, and we collaborate with IAA staff to offer workshops for teachers that explore creative object-based learning strategies. The Fleming also provides Museum Education Kits that bring the Museum to the classroom, encouraging a hands–on approach to learning about world cultures, and supporting different learning styles. Each fall, IAA students participate in after-school art classes at the Museum taught by University of Vermont art education students. IAA staff also receives free admission to the Museum throughout the year.
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