Art Integration Mentors

The ArtFusion Art Integration Mentors (AIM) project, in collaboration with Allied Arts of Yakima, Gallery One (Ellensburg), and ESD 105 will provide regional classroom teachers with a new kind of art integration experience. AIM will engage classroom teachers in the arts by providing hands-on visual arts experiences that teach them the elements of art and principles of design. Teachers will team up with a regional art mentor who will assist the teacher in developing and implementing an integrated art lesson to their students. Teachers will demonstrate an understanding of the elements of art, which will allow them to instruct students on those skills through integrated arts instruction.
Click here to view integrated art lessons created by regional AIM participants.

Art integration involves teachers of non-arts subjects working alongside arts specialists and teaching artists to create collaborative lesson plans that infuse the arts into non-arts subjects such as math, science, language arts and social studies. In arts integrated classrooms students score higher on achievement tests and demonstrate an increase in critical thinking skills, self-confidence and retention. Visit our Arts Education Researchpage for more information.

This project is funded by a Professional Development for Arts Educators grant from the U. S. Department of Education, visit the About ArtFusion page to learn more.
Click here to view the 2011-2012 project flyer.

Interested in Participating?
Teachers interested in participating should read the project flyer or contact Aurelio Garcia at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

Goal
Recognizing that students learn best when instruction is provided in a variety of ways, classroom teachers will receive training in the elements of art, art integration strategies and arts assessments in order to provide students with authentic and integrated arts experiences that support and enhance instruction in existing classroom curriculums.

Teachers Receive
- 2 days of training in the basic art elements, art integration and arts assessment training during the yearly August AIM training
- Art supplies needed to fully complete the lessons with their classroom.
- 3 mentor classroom visits for demonstration, lesson development and observation.

Teacher Responsibility
-Attend the 2 day AIM August training.
-Develop 3 integrated art lessons to complete in their classroom with artist mentor support.
-Provide 60 minutes with the mentor to write and review integrated art lessons.
-Observe mentor instruct lesson 1, co-teach lesson 2 and instruct lesson 3 while mentor observes.
-Teacher will administer the adapted visual arts Classroom Based Performance Assessment (CBPA) to their class. The assessment is a simplified version of the state "One of a Kind Shoe" CBPA.

Mentor Responsibility
Provide 3 60-minute classroom visits to the AIM teacher plus at least 60 minutes of lesson development time for all three lessons.
Visit 1 – Model the first integrated arts lesson.
Visit 2 – Co-teach the second integrated arts lesson.
Visit 3 – Teacher instructs class in both the art and the integrated curriculum area with mentor observing.

Assessment
The three lesson objectives will target specific arts Classroom-Based Performance Assessment (CBPA) outcomes.

Process
All interested teachers from throughout the ESD 105 region will register via email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Participating teachers will be selected based on their schools free/reduced lunch applications and space availability. Building administrator approval is required in order for teachers to register for the project.

Evaluation
Participating teachers will be pre and post tested using a CBPA at the AIM training. Teachers will assess students using the same adapted art CBPA and will be surveyed on the process. Data will be gathered regarding project completion rates, teacher/student CBPA scores and a number of new integrated art lessons published to the ArtFusion website (http://artfusion.us).

2011-2012 Participating Districts/Schools
129 Cohort 3 participants from:
includes approximately 100 pre-service teachers from Heritage University

Grandview School District
Harriett Thompson Elementary

Mabton School District
Artz-Fox Elementary

Mt. Adams School District
Harrah Elementary

Sunnyside School District
Pioneer Elementary

Yakima School District
Adams Elementary
Barge-Lincoln Elementary
Garfield Elementary
Gilbert Elementary
Hoover Elementary
McClure Elementary
Nob Hill Elementary
Roosevelt Elementary
Whitney Elementary

21 Cohort 2 Participants from:
Kittitas School District
Kittitas Elementary

Selah School District
Selah Intermediate

West Valley School District
Cottonwood Elementary

Yakima School District
Garfield Elementary
Gilbert Elementary
Hoover Elementary
McClure Elementary
Nob Hill Elementary
Robertson Elementary
Roosevelt Elementary
Whitney Elementary

2010-2011 Participating Districts/Schools
37 Cohort 2 participants from:
Goldendale School District
Goldendale Primary

Granger School District
Roosevelt Elementary

Kittitas School District
Kittitas Elementary

Mt. Adams School District
Harrah Elementary

Selah School District
Selah Intermediate

Sunnyside School District
Chief Kamiakin Elementary

West Valley School District
Cottonwood Elementary
Summitview Elementary

Yakima School District
Barge-Lincoln Elementary
Garfield Elementary
Gilbert Elementary
Hoover Elementary
McClure Elementary
Nob Hill Elementary
Ridgeview Elementary
Robertson Elementary
Roosevelt Elementary
Whitney Elementary

15 Cohort 1 Participants from:
Yakima School District
Barge-Lincoln Elementary
Discovery Lab
Garfield Elementary
McClure Elementary
Nob Hill Elementary
Ridgeview Elementary
Roosevelt Elementary
Whitney Elementary

2009-2010 Participating Districts/Schools
36 Cohort 1 Participants From:

Grandview School District
Smith Elementary
Thompson Elementary

Mabton School District
Artz-Fox Elementary

Toppenish School District
Kirkwood Elementary
Valley View Elementary

Union Gap School District
Union Gap Elementary

Yakima School District
Barge-Lincoln Elementary
Discovery Lab
Garfield Elementary
Gilbert Elementary
Hoover Elementary
Martin Luther King Elementary
McClure Elementary
McKinley Elementary
Nob Hill Elementary
Ridgeview Elementary
Robertson Elementary
Roosevelt Elementary
Washington Middle School
Whitney Elementary