Summer institutes and intensives offered by APLI provide educators and teaching artists in New Jersey with immersive professional learning experiences. These programs focus on creative pedagogy, arts integration, equity in arts education, and collaborative design of classroom arts practices. Participants leave these intensives with new tools, peer networks, and actionable plans to bring back into their school and community settings.
Table of Contents
Overview of APLI Summer Institutes & Intensives
- Purpose: APLI’s summer offerings are designed to enable deeper exploration of arts-based teaching, innovation in curriculum design, and collaborative work between teaching artists and classroom educators.
- Audience:
- Teaching artists across the visual, performing, and literary arts
- Classroom teachers interested in arts integration
- School administrators and arts specialists
- Two-person teams (artist + educator) where school partnerships are involved
- Focus Areas:
- Arts integration across subjects
- Inclusive and equitable practice in the arts
- Design of lessons and units that engage the “whole student”
- Networking and peer learning
- Action planning for the academic year ahead
Key Components of the Summer Institute
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Workshop Sessions | Intensive workshops led by master teaching artists and arts-education experts. They include hands-on practice, co-planning, reflection, and curriculum design. |
| Collaborative Planning Time | Scheduled blocks for artist-educator teams to design new modules or record plans for their fall implementation. |
| Mentoring & Peer Support | Small-group mentoring sessions and peer-sharing circles to troubleshoot and refine teaching ideas. |
| Reflective Practice | Guided reflection on equity, access, and inclusive arts practice to ensure every student can engage meaningfully. |
| Resource Sharing & Toolkits | Participants receive toolkits, lesson-plan templates, access to digital libraries, and follow-up webinars. |
Typical Schedule & Format
- Duration: Often 3 to 5 consecutive days (in-person or hybrid) during the summer months
- Format:
- Day 1: Orientation, community building, overview of themes
- Mid-Days: Deep dive into studio practice, curriculum co-design, peer dialogues
- Final Day: Action plan presentations, next steps, networking event
- Follow-up Support: Some institutes include post-summer check-ins, webinars, peer check-ups, or online collaborative networks
Benefits for Participants
- Enhanced capacity to design arts-integrated lessons that meet state learning standards
- Strengthened network of teaching artists and educator peers across New Jersey
- Increased confidence in facilitating inclusive, culturally responsive arts experiences
- Practical fall implementation material and action plans are ready for classroom use
- Opportunities for leadership within school or district arts initiatives
Selection Criteria & Participant Expectations
| Criterion | What APLI Looks For |
|---|---|
| Experience | Applicants with 1-5 years of arts education or teaching artist experience (though beginner to expert levels accepted). |
| Collaborative Mindset | Willingness to work in a team (artist + educator), share practice, and reflect critically. |
| Commitment to Implementation | A plan or statement indicating how summer learning will translate to classroom/school practice. |
| Inclusive Practice | Demonstrated interest in equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility in arts learning. |
| Follow-through | Readiness to engage in post-institute support, webinars, and network activities. |
Examples of Past Summer Institutes
- A summer institute focused on “Arts Integration for Equity”, where artists and teachers co-designed cross-curricular modules.
- An intensive laboratory on “Digital Media & Creative Classrooms”, addressing how to integrate technology and arts practice.
- A team-based retreat oriented around “School-Community Partnerships in Arts Learning”, culminating in public sharing of student work.
- A multi-day session on “Inclusive Arts Practice”, exploring accessibility in the arts and co-planning with special-education educators.
How to Apply & Prepare
- Check for application announcements in the fall for the following summer cycle.
- Form or select a two-person team (teacher + teaching artist) if that model is required.
- Prepare a statement of purpose outlining your arts education goals and how the institute will support them.
- Submit a brief portfolio or sample work (depending on art form) and evidence of teaching or arts practice.
- Develop a preliminary implementation plan: how will you use what you learn in your school or classroom?
- Ensure administrative support: the school administrator may need to commit to follow-through.
- Budget for any travel or lodging if residential; note whether stipends or support are offered.
Post-Institute Implementation & Sustainability
- Participants refine their action plan and begin integrating new approaches in the fall term.
- Access to digital platforms for resource sharing and peer support helps sustain momentum.
- Many fellows become mentors for subsequent cohorts, thereby expanding capacity.
- Measurable outcomes may include student work exhibitions, arts-integrated units executed, and webinars shared with colleagues.
- Some projects evolve into grant applications, school-wide initiatives, or district-level programs.
Key Takeaways
Summer institutes and intensives offered by APLI provide arts educators and teaching artists in New Jersey with rich, immersive professional learning environments. These programs bridge summer learning with classroom transformation by focusing on collaboration, inclusion, and actionable planning. Educators who engage deeply in these intensives come away prepared to implement innovative arts practices that benefit students, schools, and communities. Through continued participation and network engagement, the impact of these summer experiences grows well beyond the session itself.
