2026-2027 MEDIA ARTS INTRODUCTION COHORT
Build a foundation in teaching media arts. Register for Perpich’s Media Arts Introduction Cohort!
About the Cohort
The Media Arts Introduction Cohort is a year-long, hands-on, idea-rich professional learning community designed to equip teachers with the foundational skills, tools, and curriculum structures needed to teach media arts with confidence and clarity. Whether you are a visual arts teacher ready to branch into digital forms, a tech-savvy educator seeking more creative applications, or entirely new to media arts—this cohort meets you where you are.
This cohort explores the concepts, creative processes, artistic thinking, media literacy, curriculum design, and assessment practices that support meaningful media arts education. Teachers will move beyond technology-driven projects to consider the learning behind the making: What should students understand? What artistic decisions should they make? How can media become a vehicle for creative thinking, communication, and expression?
Participants will build conceptual and technical fluency across digital photography, video, animation, and graphic design. The work is grounded in concept-based curriculum and instruction (CBCI), inquiry-based practices, and creative production cycles that help students develop voice, critical thinking, and artistic literacy. Over the course of the year, participants will design, revise, or refine classroom-ready units aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (NCAS) or local standards, while engaging with peer critique protocols, artist case studies, and adaptable project structures.
This is not a “sit and get” PD — it’s active, collaborative, and immediately relevant to classroom practice.
This Cohort is Ideal For:
Educators who are new to media arts or ready to strengthen their curricular and pedagogical foundation. What does it mean to teach media arts as an artistic discipline, rather than simply teach students how to use technology? This can include:
- Middle and high school visual arts teachers
- Technology integration specialists or digital media teachers
- Classroom Generalists adding creative technology to their classrooms
- Educators with little to no media arts teaching experience
Expectations for Joining the Cohort:
- Teaching or seeking to teach media arts in an integrated or standalone course offering this year
- 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 media arts experiences
Cohort Meeting Dates (three all-day workshops):
The Media Arts Introduction 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.
- Tuesday, November 17, 2026
- Thursday, February 11, 2027
- Wednesday, April 14, 2027
More Details:
- The Media Arts Introduction 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. All sessions are in-person.
- Lunch is provided by Perpich for each workshop.
- There is no cost to participate in this cohort, and no cost for the online media offerings.
- A clock hours form will be provided after each workshop day.
- Media Arts Introduction is the prerequisite for the Media Arts Advanced Cohort.
If you are a teacher looking to bring a new dimension of creativity and critical thinking to your classroom, then the Perpich Media Arts Introduction Cohort will be a great support for you. This program offers an exciting and immersive learning experience that will empower you to incorporate media arts into your school.
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.
PERPICH’S COHORT MEDIA ARTS PATHWAY
INTRO → ADVANCED
*The Media Arts Intro Cohort establishes the shared foundation for the Advanced Cohort. Educators who have completed the Media Arts Intro Cohort are invited to join the Media Arts Advanced Cohort the following year.
Questions? Contact jeremy.holien@pcae.k12.mn.us
