What We Do

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How We Work

Arts Integration

For CAPE, it is essential that arts instruction integrate with academic instruction. CAPE believes in teaching the skills necessary to make a work of art, and that the art making becomes a richer experience by exploring complex, challenging non-arts subjects. We believe art made from an integrated curriculum is more compelling because of the constant exchange of questions and ideas from the academic to the artistic work.

Partnerships

In our practice, teachers and teaching artists collaborate. Together, they address academic and artistic questions and challenges. Building on these ideas, they plan an arts integrated curriculum that moves in and out of arts and non-arts subjects as the project progresses. The artist and teacher work together with the students, co-teaching throughout their partnership. The partners are able to see and experiment with multiple strategies of student engagement each other bring to the classroom.

Documentation

CAPE provides all teachers and artists training in documentation theory and practice.  Documentation helps educators get a fuller picture of how an individual student is or is not learning and growing. Examining the documentation aids teachers and artists not only in student assessment, but also in curricular planning, as they reflect on what is and isn’t working in their instruction.

Professional Development

Teaching is often an isolated profession, with little chance for dialogue around issues of pedagogy and student learning. As part of all CAPE programs, teachers and teaching artists from schools around the city come together regularly for professional development meetings.  There, they can examine others’ work and ideas, share their own successes and questions, and explore new possibilities for teaching and learning with CAPE staff.

Research

All CAPE programs engage professional, highly qualified researchers. Researchers analyze CAPE documentation, interview teachers and artists, and gather student data. Researchers also develop new and innovative tools to look at arts integrated teaching and learning. Their research is regularly shared with the teachers and artists, providing them with a broader trajectory of how their school is improving via arts integration partnerships.

Public Sharing and Dissemination

CAPE shares arts integration work by students, teachers, artists, staff and researchers in many formats, including but not limited to: exhibitions, websites, published articles, workshops, whole school events, and/or conference presentations.