The Science of Hope       

The power of hope is more than wishful thinking. It is a science rooted in a positive psychology framework that highlights “what is good about you” rather than “what is wrong with you”. Hope as a psychological term is a cognitive process that can be learned. Hope is the belief that the future will be better than the present AND that we have the power to make it so. To foster hope, the research tells us we need to set detailed, achievable goals, visualize and successfully navigate pathways to reach our goals, and employ strategies to maintain our willpower over time to meet our goals.  

Learn more here:  

The Science and Power of Hope TED Talk with Dr. Chan Hellman (20-min)

How Can Hope-Centered Education Improve Student Outcomes? GATE Equity Webinar Recording (90-min)  

Look for more information about hope each month in this newsletter.  We will feature ideas and resources about the science of hope to help you and your students create the change you want in life. Let’s think together about the intersection of the science of hope with arts learning!

With gratitude,

Janet Hayakawa, Associate Director 
The Arts - Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Janet.Hayakawa@k12.wa.us
Cell/Text: 360-764-6157

_{Art – “Hope” by S. Holliday, Superintendent’s High School Art Show, 2016.}

2021 COVID Student Survey Data Released   

The COVID-19 Student Survey is a multi-agency collaboration designed to examine student needs and health risk behaviors during the pandemic. Schools (grades 6 to 12) decided on their participation.  The survey was administered between March 8 – 26, 2021 and was funded by the Washington State Health Care Authority, implemented by a team at the University of Washington, with partnership around content, design, and dissemination from OSPI and the Washington State Department of Health. Survey data can be filtered by state, ESD, and county.

Healthy Youth Survey 2021 Results Available

Free Frieda Kahlo Poster    

After nearly being killed in a bus accident when she was 18, Frieda Kahlo spent two years healing and creating self-portraits. She famously said, “Feet, what do I need them for if I have wings to fly?” Download a free poster from Learning for Justice.

Interactive Electronic Galleries   

See how Artechouse, a digital gallery with locations in Washington DC, New York and Miami; and Super Real, a New York-based project, create immersive, interactive art experiences.  Watch this video to see how technology intersects with art and theatre.

(28-minutes)

 Broadway Reopens after COVID-19 

Watch “We Are Broadway”, a series of seven video shorts that feature artists working in Broadway shows.  The shows featured include: “Company”, “TINA—The Tina Turner Musical”, “Aladdin”, “Hadestown”, “Wicked”, and “Beetlejuice.”

Dancing is Her Girl Power

Meet 9-year old Nicole and listen to her story (3-minute video).  She has a passion for dance and reading. Find a discussion guide and other resources here.  From PBS Learning Media.

Convergence Between Arts and Sciences

In this blog, produced by the ArtsEd Digest, Sloka Iyengar, a neuroscientist and classical Indian dancer, shares her online production – Vichaar – that explores relationships between the brain and dance. 

“Her Art, Her Voice”  

The Heritage and Harmony: Her Art, Her Voice video series was produced by The National Women’s History Museum in collaboration with pianist Donna Weng Friedman.  Spotlighting leading women in the arts from diverse backgrounds, this series is designed to inspire and empower school-aged girls by imparting stories of heritage, personal challenges and triumphs and showcasing amazing accomplishments.

Classical Music’s Next Generation

Today, Black and Latinx musicians make up about 4% of orchestras in the United States.  This is changing with the help of the Sphinx Organization, a social justice organization dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. Sphinx is focused on increasing representation of Black and Latinx artists in classical music.  Listen to three musicians, Melissa White, Jannina Norporth and Thomas Mesa share their stories and how they’re paying it forward.

Ekphrastic: Register Now! 

Engage your students in creating poetry inspired by art in the 2022 Superintendent’s High School Art Show.  Register now and the link to review and submit the artwork will be sent to you on April 6.  Poems can be submitted April 6 - 20.  Selected poems will be presented as part of this year’s awards ceremony.

For curriculum resources and to submit poems, click here. 

_{Photo – “In the Shadows” by Mia Dufault, Superintendent’s High School Art Show, 2021.}

Teaching Artist Guild Conference – Apr 5-7    

Join this virtual event in support of teaching artists across the country.  Our Shared Future: Imagining a New Landscape for Teaching Artists is an opportunity to network and learn from and with teaching artists about the arts education ecosystem through artmaking, panel discussions, roundtable and small-group conversations.  Learn more and register here.  To join colleagues from the Pacific NW, click here.

Music Education and Special Needs

Study Group

This one-of-a kind, virtual (synchronous and asynchronous) professional learning provides the opportunity to gain knowledge, and learn strategies for reaching every student in the music studio, classroom and ensemble settings.  Six three-hour sessions are in April and May, there is no charge, but registration is required.  Find more information here.

National Town Hall Addresses Arts Access – Apr 27, Noon – 1:30 pm

Join arts education administrators from around the country to discuss what is being done in your community and what needs to be done at the local and national levels to ensure quality arts education is accessible to all preK-12 students, especially those who have been historically marginalized.  Sponsored by the Arts Education Partnership and the Education Commission of the States. 

Submissions Due:  Apr 30

The Western Governors’ Foundation invites students in grades 9 – 12 to create an original, two-dimensional piece of artwork inspired by their home state or otherwise evocative of the West.  Students must submit a digital copy of their artwork, along with their entry form, by email to WGAart@westgov.org by April 30, 2022.

Scholarship Opportunity—Deadline: Apr 30 

Students currently enrolled in a 2- to 4- year fine art program in King, Pierce or Snohomish County with an emphasis on 2-dimensional work are invited to apply for this $2,000 scholarship. Visit the Seattle Co-Arts website to apply.

Dance Scholarships—Deadline: Apr 30

The National Dance Education Organization is offering 28 scholarships to recognize excellence in the field of dance education, support students in their training, and help educators achieve their educational goals through professional development.  Find more information and apply here.

Seeking Emerging Artist/Educator

Confluence, a community-supported nonprofit seeks an energetic and collaborative Indigenous Emerging Artist/Educator to help deliver educational programming and produce culturally relevant art.  The organization’s mission is to connect people to the history, living cultures and ecology of the Columbia River system through Indigenous voices. See here for more information.  The position will remain open until June 3, 2022.

Arts for All—Join the Movement!

OSPI, the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA), Inspire Washington, and Arts Ed Washington have formed the Arts for All (A4A) Coalition to ensure that all PreK-12 students in Washington State have access to quality arts learning.  A4A seeks to achieve this by developing statewide arts leadership, collecting and analyzing arts education data, and supporting educators and teaching artists through professional learning opportunities.

Sign up to stay informed.