IN THE NEWS
Turnaround Arts: DSM Earns Governors’ Arts Award
August 8, 2016
The Turnaround Arts program at Des Moines Public Schools has been presented with the Governor’s Arts Award for its success at arts learning leadership . Turnaround Arts is at five DMPS schools on the north side of Des Moines. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the National Endowment of the Arts and numerous private and corporate donors, and uses the arts to help turn around lower-performing schools, narrow the achievement gap and develop a strong sense of community. Well-known national artists, including Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker, have served as mentors with DMPS schools to show students and teachers new ways to integrate the arts into traditional subjects such as reading, science and math. Read the full story here. |
Harding MS Breakerz Perform at the White House
May 25, 2016
It was an exciting Wednesday afternoon as the Harding Middle School Breakerz performed at the White House as part of the Turnaround Arts Talent Show, hosted by First Lady Michele Obama. Want to see their performance? View it online on the DMPS-TV YouTube channel. |
TA: DSM Receives the '16 AWE Award from MetroArtsThe 2016 AWE Infusion Award is given to a successful individual or entity outside of the arts sector that infuses a creative and innovative approach to their lifestyle or business. This year’s winner is Turnaround Arts: Des Moines Public Schools. Their infusion of the arts into all curricular areas is revolutionary in its goal to promote student growth and engagement as well as parent involvement. Their partnerships and work to integrate the arts into core courses has made DMPS a national model for arts education.
Turnaround Arts has infused the arts into all curricular areas and is revolutionary in its goal to promote student growth and engagement as well as parent involvement. Their partnerships and work to integrate the arts into core courses has made the Des Moines Public Schools and national model for arts education. Currently the Turnaround Arts program is infusing the arts into classrooms at five schools on the North Side of Des Moines. Because of this program, student test scores, participation in arts events, and community involvement in the schools have all increased. Additionally, the program has created a community synergy resulting in an increase of parents attending conferences, back to school nights and arts events. |
Broadway Grant Helps DMPS Turnaround Arts Schools
September 30, 2014
The lights are bright on Broadway, and a little of it is shining on to Des Moines Public Schools. The Broadway League, the national trade association for the Broadway theater industry, announced today the recipients of their 19th annual National Education and Community Engagement Grants. One of this year’s winners is Des Moines Performing Arts for their work with our schools through an initiative called One by One: Laying a Foundation of Learning Through the Arts. Des Moines Performing Arts is partnering with five Des Moines Public Schools – Findley, Oak Park, Madison and Cattell Elementary Schools plus Harding Middle School – to conduct multi-curricular workshops and residencies around Disney’s The Lion King. The project will enable 500 students from Des Moines’ north-side to attend a performance of the touring production of Disney’s The Lion King and to participate in multi-curricular workshops and residencies that reinforce literacy, social, and 21st century learning objectives. Read the full story here. |
Kal Penn Advocates for DMPS, Arts Education
January 27, 2016
Wednesday was Fine Arts Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill in Des Moines. And DMPS sent some fine advocates indeed to share some of the abundant good news from the district’s Turnaround Arts cohort of schools with the Education Committees in both the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Iowa General Assembly. The district’s Visual Arts Curriculum Coordinator and TA Program Coordinator Sarah Dougherty and Kal Penn, special envoy on loan from the President’s Council on the Arts & Humanities (PCAH), gave legislators the lowdown on the impact of arts integrated curricula including increased attendance, reduced office referrals, skyrocketing parental engagement and, most importantly, higher levels of student achievement in core academic areas like math and reading. Read the full story here. |
Teachers Take to the Stage for Arts Integration
January 27, 2016
Some 75 or so DMPS teachers took center stage at the Des Moines Civic Center on Monday afternoon, but they weren’t exactly playing to a packed house. In fact, the seats were empty and the teachers were working; staying after school, in effect, for some professional development built around the concept of arts integration throughout a broad educational curriculum.The Civic Center was the venue for the four-hour session because the expansive stage/backstage area allowed plenty of room for movement, one of the four elements (dance, drama, visual, music) central to the notion that there is an art to every area of instruction, including science. Also, Des Moines Performing Arts and the Kennedy Center are partners with the district in this effort. Read the full story here. |
