Van Wezel Partners With 'Feelings Addressed Mindfully' Teaching Artists To Intersect Social Emotional Learning And Arts Education

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall's Education & Community Engagement Department and the Van Wezel Foundation announce all-new virtual resources for educators: Feelings Addressed Mindfully, known as the FAM Project.

With a focus on Social Emotional Learning (SEL), the FAM Project allows educators to explore the intersection of mindfulness, mental health and the arts during the challenging climate that students and families are facing today. The mission of this project is to help students feel better so they can learn better. FAM Van Wezel Teaching Artists will teach through a series of on-demand videos exploring mindfulness, movement and drama. Students will explore the 5 CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning) competences taught as part of the SEL curriculum: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills and Responsible Decision Making. Each module will address one of these critical core competencies. As students and teachers navigate each module, they will explore how artists use these competencies and how they can use them in everyday life.

"Learning an art form involves learning about yourself and others, as well as problem solving through creativity," says Kelli Maldonado, Director of Education & Community Engagement. "It is a natural step to ask students to reflect on how these art making skills can be used in all areas of their lives."

The program will launch with a two-part professional development opportunity for Sarasota and Manatee School District educators on January 13 and 14 from 5:30-7 p.m. Follow-up virtual workshops for classrooms with FAM teaching artists will be available starting in February.

"We are thrilled to have our work presented by Schooltime at The Van Wezel. FAM is all about developing our emotional intelligence so we all have a better chance of becoming conscious creators and choice makers. We are very grateful to generous donors of the Van Wezel Foundation for bringing this work free of charge to students and teachers in Sarasota and Manatee." - Maria Schaedler-Luera, FAM Teaching Artist. Teaching artists for this initiative include Maria Schaedler-Luera (Drama), Stevey Jones (Writing) and Rachel Kelley (Movement).

Teachers and administrators can register now on a first come, first served basis for the virtual workshops here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FAMWorkshops

To learn more about the workshops, educators can reach out the Van Wezel's Education & Community Engagement department at Candice.Rodriguez@sarasotafl.gov.

This program is available at no cost to schools and community organizations through the generosity of donors of the Van Wezel Foundation. To support FAM and other meaning arts and education experiences, please visit www.VWFoundation.org.