Bartol Foundation

Our 2025 Grantee Celebration owes us nothing! What a night. What a community. What a reminder of why this work matters. After almost 5 years apart, it felt amazing to gather, listen, share, and cheer on Bartol grantees—past and present. From powerful performances by grantees like Cambodian American Girls Empowering (CAGE) to inspiring words from Executive Director Sam Tower and Board Chair/TIPTA Trainer Bets Charmelus, the room was filled with vision, creativity, and collective care. We heard directly from our grantees about the impact of trauma-informed practice in their classrooms and communities — real stories, real transformation. And yes…‼️ We were thrilled to announce the all-new Teaching Artist Award, honoring the brilliance and leadership of teaching artists shaping the future of arts education. Grateful for every artist, educator, funder, and community member who showed up and continues to show up. This is what it looks like when we invest in artists. 💛 📽️ Watch the recap video above! Special thanks to @bigpicturealliance for beautifully capturing our community in October at @theclaystudiophl 🏺 #BartolFoundation #GranteeCelebration #TeachingArtists #PhillyArts TraumaInformedPractice

Thinking about taking our Trauma Informed Practice course this summer? Registration for Bartol's TIP Online Summer 2026 Cohort is still open! The course is asynchronous so you can move at your pace, on your time. 👉 Course begins: June 15 👉 Course ends: Aug 10 (Teaching Artists)/Aug 25 (Administrators) Curious what the course is like? Get a free preview with the link in our bio! 📸: @philadanco #BartolFoundation #TIPOnline #TeachingArtists #ArtsEducation #TraumaInformedPractice #SummerCohort

✨Meet the Facilitators: Nina Riley and Julie E. Katz We’re excited to introduce the facilitators for our next workshop in The LAB series: Story Circles: Using Storytelling to Shape Classroom Culture. Nina Riley is a facilitator and program manager working across creative collaboration, community engagement, and social justice programming. She's supported citywide initiatives with organizations like Broadway Advocacy Coalition, The National Urban League, and PA Humanities, and brings a strong focus on human-centered practice and radical joy. Julia E. Katz is a West Philadelphia-based artist, facilitator, and mom who builds community through creative practice. She works with educators, librarians, and organizers to create shared spaces for learning and connection. Her work has been exhibited at The Painted Bride, Vox Populi Gallery, and Da Vinci Art Alliance. Don't miss this exciting workshop on May 18 from 6–8pm in-person at Asian Arts Initiative! Register today.

Big thanks to our 2026 Teaching Artist Award review panel!👏 This year’s panel brought together Bartol grantees, board members, and trauma-informed teaching artists who thoughtfully reviewed applications and helped shape this year’s cohort with care, insight, and intention. 🌟LaTasha Morris 🌟Amanda Newman-Godfrey 🌟Marisol Rosa-Shapiro 🌟Duwenavue Santé Johnson 🌟Cat Ramirez 🌟Rachel Tsiouris-Gabriele 🌟Antoinette Coward-Gilmore 🌟Anthony Folks 🌟Daniela Galindo 🌟Adam Kerbel 🌟Veronica Chapman-Smith Reviewing this year’s applications meant holding so many powerful stories, practices, and visions for what arts education can be, and they did it with care every step of the way.

📷 May is National Photography Month 📸 This month, we’re celebrating photographers in the Bartol community who capture stories, document lived experiences, and help us see the world in new ways. Meet Yaqeen Yamani, a Yemeni Palestinian photographer and artist working across photography, video, and printmaking. A grantee of the Arab Documentary Photography Program (AFAC, Magnum Foundation, and Prince Claus Fund), Yaqeen is currently developing In Flow With Water, a long-term project exploring the cultural and environmental relationships surrounding a natural spring in her hometown of Jericho, Palestine. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including in the United States, Germany, Bahrain, Egypt, Palestine, and France. Photography is more than an image. It’s storytelling, reflection, and connection. Through their work, artists like Yaqeen invite us to slow down, pay attention, and engage more deeply with the world around us. Discover more artists in the Bartol Directory and learn how the creatives in our community are making impact.

This month, we’re honoring the artists and educators of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) heritage who shape our communities. Today, we want you to meet Yasmine Ameli, a writer, fiber artist, and teaching artist in the Bartol community, leading our upcoming workshop: Crafting Your Teaching Artist Philosophy Statement 📅 Wednesday, May 6 | 7–9 PM 💻 Online via Zoom Yasmine will guide teaching artists through reflection, writing prompts, and discussion to help you draft a philosophy statement that clearly expresses your values, goals, and approach to teaching. Leave with a working draft, practical resources, and a stronger sense of your voice as a teaching artist. 👉 Register now to join.

You've got a few hours left to apply for the 2026 Bartol Arts Education Grant! If your site visit is complete, click here to finish the application. Deadline: Tonight at 11:59p EST 📸: @cagempowering

Storytelling doesn’t just spark creativity; it helps build connection, trust, and shared understanding in the classroom. Up next in The LAB— ⭕️⭕️ "Story Circles": Using Storytelling to Shape Classroom Culture 📍 Asian Arts Initiative Theater, 1219 Vine Street 📅 Monday, May 18 | 6–8 PM This immersive workshop will allow teaching artists to explore storytelling as a tool for building a caring, values-driven classroom culture. They'll learn: ➡️ Story Circles—a structured method for sharing narratives ➡️ “Yes, And”—a collaborative improv technique ➡️ Strategies for adapting storytelling across ages, themes, and disciplines You’ll leave with practical ideas and resources to bring storytelling into your teaching practice right away. This workshop is co-facilitated by Nina Riley and Julia E. Katz. Nina is a facilitator and program manager who focuses on human-centered, social justice-driven work. Julia E. Katz is a West Philadelphia-based visual artist and community facilitator who leads cohorts and creative spaces across civic, educational, and family settings. 👉 Register now to save your spot.

🗓️ Just a few days Left! There’s still time to submit your application for a 2026 Bartol Arts Education Grant. If your site visit is complete, and you've been invited to apply, then go ahead and complete that final step... send in your application! Deadline: May 1 at 11:59pm EST Complete the full application here 👉 /bartol-arts-education-grant/ We look forward to learning more about the impact your organization is making in the community! 📸: @madbeatzphilly

We’ ve just activated a third cohort of trauma informed teaching artists in Philadelphia with @bartol_foundation . This week @meweinternational founder @allplacesfromhere trained 13 more educators and artists on the neuroscience of storytelling and evidence based ways for creative practices and communication skills building to advance child and community wellbeing , safety, and human rights. Communication is the oxygen of community, and community is the container for health and human rights. This marks the third cohort of teaching artist trainings #meweintl has led with partners @bartol_foundation and their network of trauma informed teaching artists. To date we have equipped more than 40 educators in Philly with #meweintl@tools and capacity building which has the potential to reach 1,000s of students and families . Each group will explore ways to integrate @meweinternational storytelling and communication tools into their classrooms and community centers— who are enduring poverty, violence, health inequity and systemic barriers to development and growth. As part of the community engagements we are donating @moleskine journals from the @moleskinefoundation to educators and soon their students. Storytelling is an act of rhythm, remembrance, and repair. Stories Are Living Things. Thank you Bartol , @velvet_helmet ,Mae, Anjoli @bettyboop2185 and the courageous and creative artists of Philly. Pictured above: collage @moleskinefoundation journals made by Dani; storytelling for healing activities; the teaching artists of Philly; body mapping global canvas traveling nationally and globally as part of SALT, designed by @meweinternational & @noemimanser . More to come. 🫀🙏🤲❤️‍🔥💪🏼 #mentalhealth #arts @commartsnetwork @pinterest

Your teaching artist philosophy statement is more than a requirement for job applications—it’s a way to clarify your values and articulate your approach to teaching. ✍️ Join us for the first May workshop in The LAB: Crafting Your Teaching Artist Philosophy Statement. And this one's virtual! 📅 Wednesday, May 6 | 7–9 PM 💻 Zoom You'll leave with: 👉 A draft teaching artist philosophy statement 👉 Examples and resources to keep developing it 👉 A clearer sense of how your teaching aligns with your values The workshop will be led by Bartol Certified Trauma Informed Teaching Artist Yasmine Ameli, a writer, fiber artist, an arts educator based in Philadelphia. You can learn more about her work in the Bartol Directory. Save your spot now!

☀️ Summer's only a few months away, and you know what that means! Sun, fun, and learning for Arts Education Administrators!🙂 If you're an Arts Education Administrator in the Greater Philadelphia area, you still have time to register for TIPAEA this summer. This is a virtual training, and it's completely free thanks to our friends at the William Penn Foundation. July 16, 23, 30 & August 6, 13 (via Zoom) 👥 Facilitated by two of the best: Mae Early & Anjoli Santiago ⏰ Apply by April 27 at 5:00 PM Register today!