RAISE

Teaching Artist Craig Norton leads students at Conte West Hills in a drum circle.

RAISE is operated in partnership with Young Audiences.

About RAISE

RAISE (Responsive Arts in School Education) is an ambitious five-year initiative spanning multiple states, aimed at meeting the pressing needs of young learners today. This project seeks to create a transformative model that fosters collaboration between teaching artists and school support teams. Together, they will develop comprehensive, tailored, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive arts education residencies. By focusing on in-depth programming, AISE aims to enrich the educational experiences of students while addressing their unique challenges. This vital initiative is generously funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

How is AFLCT involved?

Several AFLCT Teaching Artists have opted to engage in Social and Emotional Learning, and Trauma-Informed Practice Trainings over the past few years. Year 1 Teaching Artists are engaged in residencies with our two partner schools: Conte West Hills in New Haven, CT & Rotella Magnet School in Waterbury, CT.

Project Goals

  • Supporting teaching artists in strengthening their practice 
  • Lifting up the role of and support the needs of school support staff
  • Creating new and innovative partnership model
  • Disseminating library of digital resources for arts-integrated, trauma-informed instructional practices

Primary Project Activities 

  • Teaching Artist training, coaching, and action research
  • Learning networks for Teaching Artists and school support staff
  • Professional learning for school staffs
  • Customized school-based arts education residencies

Professional Learning

  • Intensive online multi-year PD for hundreds of Teaching Artists / staff​ across the country
    • 210 participants to date; projecting 500 by Year 5 Topics: Intro to Social-Emotional Learning; Healing-Centered Engagement; Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Pedagogy
  • Customized PD and coaching for local residency teams: Teaching Artists, teachers, school social workers, program staff
    • Fostering partnership and collaboration at the school level
    • Sharing strategies and best practices across the national network

Local Residency Work

  • Each participating affiliate organization works with two school partners
  • Students receive approximately 6-15 arts-integrated lessons per year, infused with strategies learned from the online training
  • Teachers and school social workers receive training in arts integration
  • Families enjoy a culminating community event at school each year to celebrate the arts
  • Teams engage in inter-visitations and national convenings to deepen the learning

Participating AFLCT Teaching Artists

Teaching Artist Craig Norton works on listening and responding with 3rd Grade at Conte West Hill School.

Year 1

Years 2 & 3

For questions, please email Education Manager Alex Novak Foster at [email protected].

A student at Conte West Hills works on adding sounds that emulate certain emotions to a movie trailer.
Teaching Artist Marcus Allen of Universal Sounds teaches students about foley, and adding sound effects to a movie trailer at Conte West Hills.
Teaching Artist Craig Norton leads Grade 1 at Rotella Magnet school through various social emotional learning activities with drums.