2024-2025 Art Cohorts Serve Many Educators

April 25, 2025

Three year-long Art cohorts met for a third and final time this month – Elementary Art for Classroom Generalists and Newly Licensed Teachers; Media Arts Level 1; and Media Arts Level 2. Each cohort drew a diverse group of educators.

The Elementary Art cohort involved participants with various experiences in education. About a third of the teachers were new to teaching elementary Visual Arts (Tier 1/Tier 2 licensure) and another third were elementary classroom teachers who teach art as part of the school day. Add in a handful of experienced Visual Arts teachers and a district administrator who was there to become a better support for teachers in her district, and the conversation was very rich!

Diverse in a different way, 33 participants in the Media Arts cohorts travelled to Perpich Center in Golden Valley from 14 school districts, as far away as Crookston, Duluth, and Winona.

In each cohort, participants worked together to develop their artistic and pedagogical skills, shared resources, and grew in their own confidence as makers of art. When asked about the best part of the cohort, one teacher reflected, “I loved collaborating with other like-minded teachers. Working in a small school, I do not have another elementary art teacher to talk with. This was some of the best training/work time I’ve had in a while.” Those themes echoed across the cohorts.

A big thank you to the administrators in each district who made it possible for their teachers to join the cohorts!