2026-2027 ELEMENTARY VISUAL ARTS COHORT
Build a foundation in teaching elementary art. Sign up for Perpich’s Elementary Visual Arts Cohort!
This cohort is for new elementary art teachers, Tier 1 and Tier 2 teachers without formal art pedagogy preparation, and classroom generalists who teach visual arts.
About the Cohort
The Elementary Visual Arts Cohort is a professional development experience where, over the course of the year, participants will engage in collaborative learning with other educators committed to advancing artistic thinking and creative literacy in elementary learners. Teaching elementary art is more than finding engaging projects. This cohort helps educators develop a stronger foundation in elementary art pedagogy, curriculum design, artistic literacy, instruction, and assessment. Participants will explore how concepts, standards, skills, creative processes, and assessment can work together to create meaningful and developmentally appropriate art learning.
Across three sessions, teachers will examine their existing practice, develop and refine curriculum, and collaborate with colleagues while building practical strategies they can use immediately in the elementary art room. Participants will engage with a cycle of learning that centers on big ideas, artistic inquiry, studio experimentation, and reflection. The work is grounded in frameworks such as the Minnesota Academic Standards in the Arts, the Studio Habits of Mind, and concept-based curriculum and instruction. Teachers will walk away with usable, classroom-ready curriculum units, strategies for formative and summative assessment, and a renewed understanding of how artistic thinking supports deep learning across content areas.
Cohort Members Can Expect:
- Hands-on media experiences across 2D, 3D, digital, and mixed media
- Curriculum development support: Create, revise, or refine a concept-based unit aligned to MN Academic Standards in the Arts
- Professional dialogue with fellow educators through peer feedback and collaboration protocols
- Resources and exemplars to take directly into your classroom practice
- Personalized feedback and coaching as you implement new strategies and approaches
This Cohort is Ideal For:
- K–5 visual arts specialists
- Classroom teachers integrating visual arts
- Arts Integration Coordinators
- Early-career, Tier 1, and Tier 2 teachers seeking a foundation for strong curriculum and assessment design
Requirements to Join the Cohort:
- A teacher (or desire to teach) of visual arts within the generalist’s classroom or new to the visual arts classroom at the elementary level
- Ability and commitment to attend all three in-person sessions at Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley
- Ability to collaborate and engage in hands-on visual arts experiences
Cohort Meeting Dates (three all day workshops):
The Elementary Visual Arts Cohort will meet in person at Perpich Center for Arts Education three times throughout the 2026-2027 academic year. These are full-day sessions (9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.) with a break for lunch. Cohort members are required to attend all three workshop days.
- Thursday, November 19, 2026
- Tuesday, February 9, 2027
- Monday, April 12, 2027
More Details:
- The Elementary Visual Arts Cohort will meet in person at Perpich Center for Arts Education: 6125 Olson Memorial Highway, Golden Valley, MN 55422.
- Workshops are full-day sessions (9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.) with a break for lunch.
- Lunch is provided by Perpich for each workshop.
- There is no cost to participate in this cohort.
- A clock hours form will be provided after each workshop day.
- No previous cohort experience is required. The Elementary Visual Arts Cohort is an ongoing professional learning opportunity with new topics and material continually developed; therefore, those who have signed up for the Elementary Art Cohort in the past are welcome to join again.
Sign up now and unlock a world of creativity and innovation for your students! Space is limited. The registration form will close when the cohort is full.
Questions? Contact jeremy.holien@pcae.k12.mn.us
