The Arts Professional Learning Institute (APLI) stands as a creative platform that blends education, collaboration, and artistic expression. This initiative focuses on empowering school educators and teaching artists through arts-based, interactive, and holistic learning experiences. Each workshop conducted under APLI nurtures creativity, encourages inclusivity, and promotes well-being among educators and students alike. By emphasizing both individual and collective growth, APLI plays a key role in reshaping how art integrates into education across New Jersey.
About APLI
The Arts Professional Learning Institute (APLI) represents New Jersey’s state-wide professional learning opportunity that connects teaching artists and school educators through innovative, art-centered workshops. These sessions encourage participants to collaborate, reflect, and engage in practices that elevate arts education.
Key Details about APLI:
- Co-Sponsored By:
Young Audiences Arts for Learning NJ & Eastern PA and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. - Supported By:
The Grunin Foundation and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. - National Partnership:
Operates in association with the National Endowment for the Arts. - Core Values:
Interactive learning, artistic exploration, inclusivity, and well-being.
The initiative demonstrates that effective teaching emerges from joyful, reflective, and equitable spaces. APLI’s workshops create an opportunity for educators and artists to discover how their art forms can serve as tools for empathy, creativity, and empowerment within classrooms.
Core Objectives of APLI
| Objective | Description |
|---|---|
| Professional Collaboration | Establishes partnerships between school educators and teaching artists to encourage co-learning. |
| Creative Engagement | Promotes active participation and artistic experimentation through workshops. |
| Inclusive Practices | Builds awareness and skills for creating learning spaces accessible to all students. |
| Emotional Well-being | Encourages strategies that counter burnout and foster joyful teaching. |
| Cultural Awareness | Centers the importance of diversity, culture, and representation within arts education. |
Each workshop cultivates critical reflection and dialogue about how the arts can enhance teaching quality and student engagement.
Workshops in 2024
1. Stacking Joy!
- Facilitator: Creative Praxis
- Theme: Counteracting burnout and fostering joy in education.
- Focus Areas:
- Addressing compassion fatigue among educators and artists.
- Introducing practical techniques to infuse joy into teaching and learning.
- Empowering students to process social and emotional challenges positively.
- Exploring how individual art forms can help students express resilience and joy.
- Learning Outcome: Participants will understand how emotional well-being and artistic expression work together to build strong learning communities.
2. An Introduction to Neurodiversity and Various Learning Modalities
- Facilitator: Susan Coll-Guedes
- Theme: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and inclusive educational strategies.
- Focus Areas:
- Understanding neurodiversity and its role in learning environments.
- Applying constructivist teaching methods that encourage exploration and creativity.
- Building democratic classrooms that support diverse learning styles.
- Promoting student independence and self-efficacy through art-based learning.
- Learning Outcome: Educators will gain the ability to design inclusive, adaptive, and student-centered classrooms where the arts enhance engagement.
3. Teach with GIVE: Exploring Artistic Equity and Inclusive Practices
- Facilitator: Members of New Victory Theater
- Theme: Inclusive and equitable arts education practices.
- Focus Areas:
- Using the GIVE guide, a comprehensive library of inclusive educational resources.
- Exploring Disability History and Justice as foundational to equitable teaching.
- Reflecting on current arts access for students with disabilities.
- Visioning and implementing accessible learning environments for all students.
- Encouraging peer-to-peer collaboration and participant-centered facilitation.
- Learning Outcome: Participants will learn how to model inclusivity and advocate for accessible, equitable arts learning environments.
4. Incorporating Culturally Affirming Curriculum
- Facilitator: Count Basie Center for the Arts
- Theme: Integrating cultural awareness into arts education.
- Focus Areas:
- Recognizing and celebrating students’ cultural heritage through art.
- Developing curriculum materials that reflect historical context and lived experiences.
- Showcasing underrepresented art forms traditionally excluded from mainstream education.
- Using art to investigate and celebrate cultural identity.
- Learning Outcome: Educators and artists will learn to align teaching with culturally relevant pedagogy and promote respect for diversity.
Summary of APLI Workshops 2024
| Workshop Title | Facilitator | Main Theme | Primary Learning Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stacking Joy! | Creative Praxis | Joyful teaching and emotional well-being | Building resilience and joy in classrooms |
| An Introduction to Neurodiversity and Various Learning Modalities | Susan Coll-Guedes | Inclusive education through UDL | Promoting adaptive and student-centered learning |
| Teach with GIVE | New Victory Theater | Artistic equity and disability inclusion | Designing accessible arts learning spaces |
| Incorporating Culturally Affirming Curriculum | Count Basie Center for the Arts | Cultural representation in arts education | Creating inclusive, culturally responsive classrooms |
Collaborative Impact of APLI
| Aspect | Impact on Education |
|---|---|
| Educator Growth | Enhances professional development through experiential learning. |
| Student Engagement | Encourages creative exploration, empathy, and joy in learning. |
| Arts Integration | Strengthens the role of arts in shaping holistic education. |
| Community Building | Builds stronger bonds between artists, teachers, and communities. |
| Sustainability | Creates long-term educational practices rooted in inclusion and equity. |
These workshops do more than train; they inspire educators to rethink teaching as an art form and recognize the transformative role of creativity in shaping future generations.
Participation and Sign-Up
Educators and teaching artists can register for APLI workshops by subscribing with their first name, last name, and email address on the institute’s official platform. Once enrolled, participants receive updates on upcoming workshops, events, and resources. The subscription also allows them to join a growing network of creative educators committed to the transformative power of the arts in learning.
APLI ensures transparency and user control through consent-based communication practices, allowing subscribers to manage or revoke email subscriptions anytime via SafeUnsubscribe®.
Institutional Support and Partnerships
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, in partnership with Young Audiences Arts for Learning NJ & Eastern PA, provides the foundational structure for APLI. Financial and moral support from the Grunin Foundation and Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation ensures the sustainability and expansion of these educational opportunities. This strong collaboration underscores a shared vision—arts as a vital component of comprehensive education and personal growth.
Future Implications
The Arts Professional Learning Institute (APLI) symbolizes how creativity, collaboration, and compassion intersect within education. Its workshops empower educators and artists to approach teaching not merely as instruction but as a living art form. By emphasizing inclusivity, joy, and cultural respect, APLI ensures that every learner—educator or student—finds a voice within the creative process. The institute’s enduring commitment to holistic, interactive, and arts-based learning continues to inspire a new generation of educators dedicated to transforming classrooms into spaces of expression, empathy, and empowerment.
Arts Professional Learning Institute (APLI) Eligibility and Application Overview
Arts Professional Learning Institute (APLI) Application Guide 2025
Grant Writing Tips for Teaching Artists & Schools
The Role of State Policy in Arts Education in New Jersey
School Districts That Have Embraced Arts Integration (NJ Case Studies)
How Alumni Fellows Scaled Their Projects Post-APLI
Serving Underrepresented Communities Through Arts Education
Best Practices in Teaching Artists Collaboration with Schools
How APLI Aligns with NJ Learning Standards / State Education Objectives
Inclusive & Equitable Arts Education: DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility) in APLI
How to Apply: Tips to Write a Strong Fellowship Application
