Research shows that children with difficulties in academic subjects might excel at drawing, painting, acting, singing or dancing.
Making the arts accessible to students with disabilities requires planning, flexibility and creativity. Moreover, art classes should be a priority given that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act mandates inclusion for students with disabilities.
Cynthia Kenyon, an associate professor in the Career and Community Studies (CCS) program, teaches its first-year students and engages them in activities that will push them out of their comfort zone. She recounts a chance encounter with Linda Hoeptner-Poling, an associate professor of Art Education in the School of Art, when the professors learned they could help each other.
“I am always looking to collaborate with other professors who can offer opportunities not only to my students, but also to students studying to be teachers,” said Kenyon. “Linda and I realized that we each had a student population that could benefit from collaborating.”
Enter Art Club: Kenyon’s vision for CCS students to participate in the arts, something they might not otherwise have a chance to do. Hoeptner-Poling's pre-service art teachers benefit, too, as they could gain valuable experience from teaching students in the CCS program.
“Our student leaders in NAEA (National Art Education Association) are always brainstorming volunteer outreach activities, so I brought this opportunity to their attention,” said Hoeptner-Poling. “Our art education program is very much centered on inclusive teaching and creating a sense of belonging. Centering on disabilities and inclusive teaching practices in that way makes our program very strong.”
“We talked about it as an officer group and we were really excited to get involved,” said Tori Bailey, undergraduate art student who will teach the CCS students this semester. “We were able to work last year on art projects with the students. It was awesome to get to know them and practice what we do,” added Bailey, who is also and president of the local chapter of NAEA.
To facilitate Art Club, the art education program pairs an upper division student with another student who is perhaps not as far along in the program. Together, they work with and mentor students with disabilities.
“Interaction between pre-service teachers and students is often limited to observation when doing field experience,” said Kenyon. “Linda and I agreed that it would be beneficial to create this hands-on teaching opportunity to give pre-service teachers an opportunity to create and deliver lesson plans. It’s a mutual learning experience.”