K-12 Educators in Rushford-Peterson Schools Learn with Perpich Center Specialist

February 11, 2026

In early February, Jeremy Holien, Perpich Center’s Visual and Media Arts Education Specialist, facilitated professional development for the faculty of Rushford-Peterson Schools. In this session, the K-12 educators discussed opportunities to include contributions of Minnesota tribes and communities in their content areas, examined contemporary Native artists and media makers of Minnesota, and practiced arts-based strategies for reading images as text. The session focused on developing learning experiences for students that are culturally sensitive, conceptually grounded, and transferable across disciplines.

Faculty of Rushford-Peterson Schools engage in professional development led by Jeremy Holien, Perpich Center’s Visual and Media Arts Education Specialist

Holien reflected at the end of the day, “This session made it clear that when educators approach Minnesota tribal and community contexts through arts-based learning, the work moves beyond surface inclusion. The engagement I saw reflected a readiness to design learning experiences that are both culturally responsive and instructionally rigorous.”

Facilitating district-specific professional development for K-12 educators is a frequent request for specialists in the Professional Development and Resource Programs group (PDR) at Perpich Center. Also in February, Dr. Michael Buck, Music Education Specialist, facilitated sessions with the K-12 music educators in Rochester Public Schools. Mary Harding, Dance Education Specialist, worked with dance educators in Minneapolis Public Schools. Dr. Wendy Barden, Director of PDR, facilitated a half day session with K-12 music educators in Anoka-Hennepin Schools.

Might the PDR group support professional development for your educators—at no cost? Please reach out to Dr. Wendy Barden (wendy.barden@pcae.k12.mn.us) to start a conversation! We’d love to hear from you! It’s not too early to reserve a date in the 2026-2027 school year.