Arts Education

Professional Development

As part of the KS/MO Kennedy Center Partners in Education program, the Midwest Trust Center offers professional development for teachers on the subject of arts integration.


a group of teachers participating in a professional development arts workshop - they are holding up paper designs

Upcoming Workshops


an origami class for teachers

"Folding Fractions: Origami & Math" featuring Kuniko Yamamoto

(Rescheduled) Wednesday, February 21, 2024 | 4:30-7:30 p.m. | Kansas City Young Audiences
For teachers of grades 2-5

Origami is very mathematical. Each fold creates different shapes, angles and sides. Fractions repeat. Two-dimensional shapes turn into three-dimensional shapes. Looking for something highly mathematical, packed with geometry and fractions? Origami – the art of folding paper – is the answer!

Register now | More details


teachers in a workshop smiling and  gesturing with their hands raised"The Stories We Tell with SEL" featuring Kayla Sandusky & Kim Ratliff

Thursday, February 22, 2024 | 4:30-6 p.m. | Capitol Federal Room, Regnier Center, JCCC
For teachers of grades Pre-K-2

Join teaching artists Kayla Sandusky and Kim Ratliff for an interactive professional development session that will leave you inspired and ready to try new things with your students!

Register now | More details


two teachers working on paper sculptures during a workshop"The Art of Paper Sculpture: Let’s Build!" featuring Kay Thomas

Thursday, April 4, 2024 | 4:30-7:30 p.m. | Capitol Federal Room, Regnier Center, JCCC
For teachers of grades 2-8

Help students make personal connections with curricula and delve deeply into a topic in this fascinating workshop bending, folding and rolling paper into sculptural models.

Register now | More details 


kansas missouri kennedy center partners in education logo

About the program

The Partners in Education Program is a national partnership with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. We lead professional development sessions throughout the year that show teachers how to blend performing arts into their classrooms in a variety of subjects. Our goal is for teachers to integrate arts as an engaging creative process that connects an art form and another subject area to meet evolving objectives in both disciplines.

After our professional development, teachers will be able to:

  • Expand their abilities to integrate the arts into the curriculum
  • Provide innovative teaching techniques and tools
  • Inspire the artist within themselves and their students

The Kennedy Center established its local professional development program in 1976 and has since expanded to national program teams. Teams are selected because of their demonstrated commitment to the improvement of education in and through the arts. The Kansas/Missouri Team is proud to be one of three cross-state partnerships in the United States.

KS MO Kennedy Center Partner logosThe Kansas/Missouri Team includes

  • the Midwest Trust Center at Johnson County Community College
  • the Shawnee Mission School District in Kansas
  • the Liberty Public School District in Missouri
  • Kansas City Young Audiences
 

KS/MO Kennedy Center Partners in Education Report Summary 2019-21