MONTPELIER HIGH SCHOOL Students in English, world history, biology and orchestra explored the role of walls in their lives and throughout the world—both real and imagined. This project culminated at the Barre Opera House where the students displayed their dynamic wall of glowing cubes with original music featuring Dame Evelyn Glennie, composed and performed by MHS students. CEL Teaching Artists: Evan Premo (music composition), Gowri Savoor (visual) Photo: Gowri Savoor

STOWE ELEMENTARY Through sculpture and flag making, students identified and explored various forms of communication, reflected on how their words and actions impact others, how to process positive and negative emotions in a healthy ways, and how and why change occurs. CEL Teaching Artist: Gowri Savoor (visual/sculpture) Photo: Gowri Savoor

U32 HIGH SCHOOL High school English, library, and music teachers partnered on a project with CEL teaching artist Gowri Savoor, which led students to explore and share the A and B sides of themselves through music, visual art, poetry and narratives. CEL Teaching Artist: Gowri Savoor (visual) Photo: Gowri Savoor

THATCHER BROOK PRIMARY SCHOOL K-4th grade classes tackled the challenge of redesigning their playground and then shared their process and plan through an original puppet show with the script, soundtrack, puppets, sets and scenery they made with the help of CEL teaching artist and master puppeteer Barbara Paulson. Photo: Gordon Miller

2015/16 ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE Dame Glennie worked with teachers at the Teacher Institute, and returned the next spring to perform across Vermont with students as they presented their original works in their CSI project culminating events.

MAIN STREET MIDDLE SCHOOL A teacher team of science, math, language arts and social studies teachers collaborated with two teaching artists to explore the invisible presence of hunger and income inequality in Montpelier. The month-long project led students to reflect deeply on their learning, and incorporate their knowledge into the creation of stage sets and an original composition. CEL Teaching Artists: Gowri Savoor (set design) & Evan Premo (music composition) Photo: Gowri Savoor

BARNETT SCHOOL We are all innovators, helping to make our community thrive. This project introduced the concept of innovation as a process that can be used in all learning, one which applies a growth mindset and helps the learner along their journey towards more in-depth understanding. Students carried the innovation thread into their studies of theater, physical science, music and visual art. CEL Teaching Artist: Susan Palmer (theater)

RANDOLPH UNION HIGH SCHOOL Through poetry, team building, songwriting and learning activities in English class and student advisory, students grapple throughout the year with the a fundamental question of their personalized learning plans – Who am I? – and how Me to We can strengthen their personal learning journey while contributing to their communities greater learning community. CEL Teaching Artist: Evan Premo (music composition)

ST. JOHNSBURY SCHOOL The project integrated science and visual art, as students explored the impact of hazardous weather, while looking to nature for inspiration of possible solutions to minimize damage and destruction. One outcome was a model sustainable town. CEL Teaching Artist: Gowri Savoor (visual) Photo: Gowri Savoor

PEACHAM SCHOOL Re-living the past to enlighten our future. This project explored how students’ point of view might change after learning about their community’s history during the Civil War. Students created a multimedia performance, with original choreography and music, inspired by the history of Peacham as seen through the lens of letters sent home by Civil War soldiers. CEL Teaching Artist: Heather Bryce (dance)

2016/17 ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE Guitar legend John Jorgenson performed across Vermont with students as they presented their original works in the public culminating events of the 2016/17 Vermont Creative Schools Initiative. Photo: John Lazenby

St. JOHNSBURY SCHOOL Through poetry and song writing, students explored the concept of growth mindset and their self-awareness as individuals that are woven into the fabric of Vermont. CEL Teaching Artist: Evan Premo (music/songwriting)

CONCORD SCHOOL Students explored the ways in which they belong. Each student created a puppet that reflected their sense of belonging—to their family unit, their classrooms/school, the Concord community, and the broader world. They created a puppet show that expressed their feelings and learning around the theme of belonging, which included a public performance with original sound and set design, script development and character development. CEL Teaching Artist: Barbara Paulson (puppetry)

FERRISBURGH CENTRAL This project integrated the science of light and sound with visual arts and music. Students learned about the scientific properties of light and sound and compared the similarities of the engineering and artistic design processes by composing songs and creating visual art. CEL Teaching Artist: Evan Premo (music/songwrirting)

CABOT SCHOOL What is the story of sound in our lives? The third and fourth grade team worked with CEL theatre teaching artist Susan Palmer to use body, voice and imagination to explore the science of sound in an original theater work with script, set and costumes created by the students. CEL Teaching Artist: Susan Palmer (theater)