Harding Fine Arts Academy (Academy), an arts-integrated charter high school, has engaged in a collaboration with Creative Generation in order to enhance existing arts-integrated curriculum for the benefit of the students and faculty.
The Academy was founded in 2005 and became the first school in the state to adopt the A+ Schools model of arts integration. With the help of grant funding provided by the Kirkpatrick Foundation, the Academy has been able to fund a multi-faceted collaboration with Creative Generation to build on 17 years of success.
“As we continue to strive to provide a world-class educational experience, Creative Generation is going to propel us forward!” said Harding Fine Arts Academy Superintendent Taylor C. Stanton. “Their organization is going to refine and transform Harding Fine Arts Academy into a 21st century arts-integrated school.”
In five phases over a year, Creative Generation will build a foundation of community-based collaborations, empower educators to enhance and enriched arts-based learning experiences, deliver a series of professional development workshops for teachers, and reflect on the process for future work. At the end of the program, Creative Generation will host a summer institute sharing its findings with teachers in the Oklahoma City area.
Creative Generation is a global collective that collaborates with young creatives and those who cultivate their creativity to take local actions towards global changes in pursuit of a more just world. “Creative Generation is honored to be part of the journey of the Harding Fine Arts Academy, as they lead imagine new possibilities for creative and cultural learning experiences for OKC’s youth,” said Creative Generation founder and managing director, Jeff M. Poulin – who is also a graduate of Oklahoma City University. “As Oklahoma has led the way for arts learning in America, this work will inspire a new future for arts-integrated schools across the country.”
Professional development sessions will focus on increasing educational equity, empowering young people as leaders, promoting arts-based civic engagement, and how to center personal and community wellness in education.
This partnership aligns with the Academy’s five-year strategic plan which was adopted in December 2021.
For more information, please visit www.hfaafoundation.org.
