 In This Edition of Arts Ed Connections:
- Arts Education Updates: Welcome Back Resources and Native Arts Lessons
- Arts Ed News & Research
- Educator Opportunities
- Youth Opportunities
- Artist, Arts Organization, and Partner Opportunities
- Upcoming Events and Training Opportunities
Photo by Tamanna Rumee on Unsplash
Welcome Back Arts Educators!
Dear Arts Education Luminaries,
As the school year begins, we want to extend a heartfelt welcome back to each of you. Your creativity, dedication, and passion for the arts are the heartbeat of our schools and communities. Whether you're helping students mix their first palette of colors, choreograph a movement that expresses emotion, rehearse a scene that builds confidence, shape a musical phrase that tells a story, or edit a podcast that amplifies youth voices—your work empowers young people to explore identity, build empathy, and engage meaningfully with the world around them.
Here are some free and fun resources to help set you up for a successful year! (Each arts area has a resource for K-5 teachers to explore from our brand new Arts Care & Connection project!)
🩰 Dance
🎶 Music
🎬 Media Arts
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KQED Teach is a collection of professional development courses that empower educators to teach media literacy, make media for the classroom and lead media-making projects with students in K-12.
- Arts, Care & Connection Lesson Highlight: Makin’ Mix Tapes with Mo Phillips
🎭 Theatre
🎨 Visual Arts
Native Arts Update: Speak Sing Native and Burns Paiute Tribe Lessons Available!
We’re excited to announce the newest additions to our Native Arts Lessons collection—
These lessons are part of a broader Native Arts initiative designed to support educators and students in deepening their understanding of the rich cultural and artistic traditions of local Tribes and inter tribal native artists and musicians. Rooted in collaboration, respect, and authenticity, this work highlights both historical and contemporary practices of local Indigenous communities.
These lessons do not replace, but rather supplement, the required Tribal History/Shared History lessons for schools, and offer powerful opportunities for educators to bring culturally rich, respectful, and meaningful learning into their classrooms, while helping students of all backgrounds connect with and learn from Indigenous creative and artistic traditions
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Teaching high quality, inclusive, and culturally relevant content through the arts is essential to increase equitable access to arts education for all students.
Please see below for related news and resources that may be relevant to your practice.
News and Research
Educator Resources
2025 State of Theatre Education Survey: A Climate Survey of the Field
As the professional association for theatre educators, the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) strives to understand what’s happening in the field so they can best advocate for theatre educators, their students, and communities. This survey measures the prevailing demographics, trends, issues, and attitudes among theatre educators today, reflecting the 2024-25 academic year.
EdTA knows this is a busy time of year for educators and appreciate your participation. The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. As a thank you, one survey respondent will be chosen at random to receive a $100 Amazon gift card.
Who should take this survey? To gain the fullest picture of the field, we aim to capture information from all types of working theatre educators who worked in educational settings in the 2024-25 school year, including:
- Classroom teachers
- School administrators (such as fine arts coordinators, principals)
- Teaching artists
- Afterschool drama directors
- Outreach and education directors at cultural organizations
EdTA will publish a report in fall 2025 summarizing key findings from the survey. Further, the results will inform EdTA’s advocacy strategy – allowing them to focus on the issues and challenges affecting you most.
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Call for Proposals for 2026 Biennial Music Research and Teacher Education Conference
The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) 2026 Biennial Music Research and Teacher Education Conference will take place September 30-October 3, 2026, at the Hilton Long Beach, in Long Beach, California. NAfME welcomes the participation of future, current, and retired music educators, music teacher educators, administrators, and community and corporate partners who are passionate about the critical role of music education for all. All research topics are welcome including, but not limited to, those related to NAfME’s Mission, Vision, Belief Statement and Strategic Plan and A Blueprint for Strengthening the Music Teacher Profession. Attendees will benefit from current research, policy discourse, and dialogue concerning the human experience in music teaching and learning.
The Call for Research Proposals is now available. Please review the call for submissions carefully and note the following dates/deadlines:
- August 13, 2025 – Call for submissions distributed
- January 19, 2026 – Online submissions open
- February 23, 2026 – Submissions deadline
See site for details.
Save the Date: Oregon Arts Education Association (OAEA) Conference
Save the Date! Join OAEA for our fall conference of "Crafting Community" on October 18th, 2025 in Eugene, Oregon. Earn PDUs and connect with arts educators!
Conference partners include:
- Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art
- Maude Kerns Art Center
- University of Oregon Craft Center
Find out more at their new website oregonarteducation.org!
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Computer Science Education Feedback Request: Calling ALL Oregon elementary school teachers, principals, and district superintendents!
Your feedback is crucial. Help shape the future of computer science education in our state by participating in our survey. The survey will take about 15 minutes and you’ll have a chance to win a $30 Amazon gift card!
Take the survey now and make a difference!:
National YoungArts Competition Opportunity
Every year thousands of performing, visual and literary artists age 15-18 apply to YoungArts through their national competition. Award winners with distinction attend National YoungArts Week to collaborate with peers and develop their crafts with internationally recognized leaders in their fields. Award winners with distinction in their senior year are further eligible for nomination as a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts—one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students.
Award winners at all levels receive mentorship and financial awards; gain access to a lifetime of creative, professional development and funding opportunities; and become part of an uplifting, inter-generational community that helps artists connect, create and collaborate.
The 2026 YoungArts application closes on October 8, 2025 at 8 PM ET. See site for details and application.
Call for Proposals for the 2026 NAMM Show
The National Association for Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation is looking for session topics geared toward two distinct audiences: educators (K-collegiate) or post-secondary students at the 2026 NAMM show. Please note the organization is not looking for sessions on teaching methodologies, classroom techniques, workshops, or scholarly papers. Session content must focus on one of these themes:
- Exploring careers in the music industry
- Preparing students for careers in the music industry
- Collaborations to enhance workforce skills
- Classroom resources for a life in music
Show dates are January 20-24, 2026. Submissions close September 8th. See site for submission details.
Miller Foundation K-12 Education Grants
The K-12 Education grants support organizations working to create a more holistic K-12 education system that provides equal opportunities for all children.
Miller Foundation arts grants support those who put "art at the heart" of their work. They also fund other types of organizations that deliver ongoing arts or arts education programming. Together, we can help the arts play a key role in all our Oregon communities.
Inquiry forms for funding round are due October 10th. See site for details.
All trainings are listed in Pacific Time zone unless otherwise noted.
ODE Professional Learning Opportunities for the Summer 2025 and 2025-26 School Year:
ODE Professional Learning Opportunities Page
Relevant educator opportunities:
Unless hosted or facilitated by The Oregon Department of Education (ODE), these events and training opportunities have not been endorsed by ODE, but are being shared as relevant opportunities for arts education professionals to consider.
Questions? Connections?
We welcome your submissions to ODE's Arts Education Newsletter! If you have information about events or opportunities for arts educators or students, please contact Shannon Johnson, Arts Education Specialist.
In an effort to streamline the communication process, newsletters will be sent out once a month. To ensure that we can equitably share announcements from everyone, please submit your Newsletter posts no later than the 1st of each month.
Did someone forward you this newsletter? Want to stay connected with arts education at the Oregon Department of Education? Subscribe to the ODE Arts Education Newsletter today!
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