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Interchange is a collaborative program of COCA.  For more information, visit Interchange or contact Mark Cross, director, at (314) 725-1834 x 135.

Interchange is supported by grants from the Ford Foundation, the Missouri Arts Council, St. Louis Regional Arts Commission, the Norman J. Stupp Foundation, the Greater St. Louis Regional Empowerment Zone and individual donors.  We thank them for their support and welcome yours.

 Save the Dates
Mark your calendars for the following Interchange events.

Monday, June 18
Interchange Executive Committee meeting at COCA. 4:00 p.m.

Friday, August 6
Math and Dance for Interchange artists and teachers. This is a closed session by invitation only.

Wednesday, August 18
Interchange Arts & Cultural Partner meeting. 11:30 a.m.
to 1:00 p.m. at RAC.

Monday, August 30
Interchange Executive Committee meeting at COCA. 4:00 p.m.
 
Studio Habits of Mind
highlighted at Arts Integration Forum		 space

The second annual Interchange Arts Integration Forum on June 4th brought together more than 50 community leaders, educators, arts professionals and funders to hear a year-end wrap-up of Interchange's work with the St. Louis Public Schools.

Jefferson Elementary Principal Nathalie Means reported some success in the school's first year as a whole-school arts integration pilot school. As evidence, Nathalie noted that DRA reading scores increased from 33% of students reading at grade level in September to 52% of students reading at grade level by May. While this indicates there is much work still to be done, it illustrates achievement in reading under the new school model.

St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kelvin Adams reported that Interchange and the district are partners in an application to the U.S. Department ofEducation for an Arts Education Model Dissemination and Development grant. Proposals are currently being reviewed. Award announcements are expected in July.The keynote speaker for the Forum was Dr. Lois Hetland, Associate Professor of Art Education, Massachusetts College of Art, and Research Associate, Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education. Hetland is a co-author of Studio Thinking: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education, which lays out the eight "studio habits of mind" and three organizing "structures" that arts education fosters. Her presentation on how the arts develop expression, innovation, reflection and other skills was well received.
 
 


Summer Institute focuses on Literacy space
 
  Dr. Lois Hetland stayed in St. Louis to kick-off the Interchange Summer Institute on June 5.  Some 45 artists and educators participated in the program which focused on translating the studio habits of mind framework to classroom teaching.

Hetland was joined by her colleague Dr. Mark Borchelt. Borchelt recently joined the dance faculty of Utah Valley University, following his tenure as Director of Dance at the Interlochen Arts Academy.

The Summer Institute continued on June 8 with a day-long workshop at RAC. 56 Classroom teachers and artists worked on building classroom lessons around literacy skills using various artistic disciplines. Instructors for the Institute included Mimi McDonald of COCA, Carol North of Metro Theater Company, Susan Grigsby of The St. Louis Poetry Center, and Dail Chambers a community-based artist from St. Louis.

Lesson plans developed during the Summer Institute will be available on the Interchange web site.
 
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Partnership Spotlight:
Matthew Van Doran and Jefferson Elementary		 space

Jazz guitarist and COCA teaching artist Matthew Van Doran spent the spring semester working with second grade students at Jefferson Elementary on math. Matthew and classroom teacher Georgine Toenjes used rhythm to help students learn multiplication. They were assisted by high school students from John Burroughs School.

Ms. Toenjes, who retired this year, said the residency was one of the highlights of her teaching career and a perfect way to end her years of teaching.

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Interchange Supported 78 Collaborative Residencies
in 2009-2010		 space

Interchange artists and teachers have had a creative and productive year! Collaborative residencies in 10 partner schools included a broad range of disciplines and topics largely focused on literacy. Pre-kindergarten students learned phonemics through Bear Wants More. Kindergarteners learned reading skills through drama and movement around Stellaluna. First grade students made paper, ESOL students wrote poetry, and sixth grade students wrote a play in the spirit of Shakespeare. And that's not all! 

Thank you to all of the teachers and teaching artists who developed innovative and engaging residencies for our students.
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Welcome (in a new role) Kelly! space

We are happy to report that Kelly Pollock, general manager at COCA, has been named the next Executive Director. Kelly will start in her new role July 1 following the retirement of Stephanie Riven.

Press release June 11, 2010. 		space

Farewell Allison! space


Springboard teaching artist Allison Trombley is leaving St. Louis for Boston. Trombley has been an integral part of Interchange for the past two years. She participated in our first and only residency in a high school, using video to teach persuasive essay writing at Vashon. This year, Trombley worked with third graders at Jefferson on a writing residency called How to be a Hero.

Trombley also created many of the online lesson plans available for all teachers to use in the growing Documentation section on the Interchange web site.
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