Arkansas Learning Through the Arts

Submitted photo LEARNING: Arkansas Learning through the Arts was formed three years ago for the purpose of improving student-achieving by igniting students' interest in learning.
Submitted photo LEARNING: Arkansas Learning through the Arts was formed three years ago for the purpose of improving student-achieving by igniting students' interest in learning.

Arkansas Learning through the Arts was formed three years ago for the purpose of improving student-achieving by igniting students' interest in learning. "We integrate arts experiences into the classroom curriculum, which brings excitement to their lessons," said Martha Smither, the founder and board president, in a news release. "We apply research that regular involvement in and with the arts improves student performance in a variety of ways," added Smither, who was formerly involved with a similar program in Dallas, focusing on bringing teaching artists to schools.

When in Dallas, Smither met Craig Welle, an experienced arts educator, who also moved to Arkansas and serves as ALTTA executive director. According to Welle, "Arts experiences in general serve as powerful teaching tools in that they activate student imagination and creativity in their approach to school work that prepares them to be more productive citizens."

ALTTA has a roster of highly skilled teaching artists from all over Arkansas. The artists and ALTTA collaborate to create workshops that meet the needs of the classroom teacher, often in areas of learning that are challenging to teach, such as poetry or Greek mythology. The workshops are literacy-based in that they link to particular books or other text, such as poetry or works of art.

Teaching artists are talented at drawing students into the content of their workshop because of the excitement of their art form, whether dance, story-telling or playing the Native American flute or African drums. Teachers have the advantage of observing different approaches of engaging students and most say that "they have learned a few new things." Last year, ALTTA teaching artists provided 1,200 hours of arts programming in more than 370 workshops to Hot Springs area schools and are intending to expand that reach in the 2015-16 school year.

The October Children's Concert by the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra is the result of ALTTA's partnership with the Hot Springs/Hot Springs Symphony Guild, the concert sponsor. ALTTA created relevant and imaginative educational materials so teachers could relate the concert music to what is happening in their classrooms. Students learn how music is significant in their lives and in cultures around the world.

Funding for ALTTA comes partly through grants from foundations and service organizations, school fees and tax deductible donations from many individuals and businesses.

Visit http://www.altta.org or contact Craig Welle at 214-676-0222 or [email protected] for more information about ALTTA.

ALTTA will also take part in Giving Tuesday. Visit http://www.givingtuesday.org for further information.

Entertainment on 11/29/2015

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