DC Collaborative

HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK! We met up on Monday at the spy-themed bar in @alamodrafthousedc Bryant Street to give away hundreds of free goodies, from loose-leaf tea and children’s books to travel tumblers and museum trips! Teachers were invited to come up with their own spy code name (birth month + favorite movie) when they picked up their complimentary gift bag! Our team, code names February Clueless, July Secret Garden, and December Dìdi, were delighted to meet so many of our spectacular educators! Then we raffled off over $1,000 worth of prizes from: - Teaism (@teaism_dc ) - Roaming Rooster (@roamingrooster1 ) - The National Museum of Women in the Arts (@womeninthearts ) - The Kreeger Museum (@kreegermuseum ) - Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens (@hillwoodmuseum ) - Barnes and Noble Georgetown (@bngeorgetowndc ) - Circle Yoga (@circleyogadc ) - Spy Museum (@spymuseum ) -Dumbarton Oaks (@dumbartonoaks ) - and more! And we gave away 100+ brand new books from @bngeorgetowndc and 100+ full-size travel tumblers, thanks to the @nationals . We hope all of our teachers feel appreciated this week AND all school year. Interested in learning more about how we support teachers with our no-cost arts and humanities programs? Send us a DM! Tell us in the comments: what would your code name be?

Happening tomorrow! 🎙️ Tune in to Our DC, Our Culture: Arts & Culture Mayoral Candidate Forum broadcast live on WPFW 89.3 FM @wpfwdc 📅 Listen on May 1 from 5-6 pm on Darker Than Blue and continue the conversation on May 5 from 3-5 pm on Something to Say. 🔔 Get reminders by registering using the link in our bio and the one right here: https://tr.ee/Hd9dJSE0mn This forum is organized by DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative and Social Art and Culture. Partners on this event include: Teaching For Change, Theater Alliance, Critical Exposure, Beat Ya Feet Academy, Woolly Mammoth, DancePlace, Long Live GoGo, Washington DC Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Spur Local, Atlas Performing Arts Center, Americans for the Arts, and Children’s Legacy Theatre

TEACHERS! Get your tote bag ready because we have prizes to give away! 🎁 100+ brand new books from @bngeorgetowndc 🎁 100+ full-size travel tumblers, thanks to the @nationals Join us MONDAY, May 4, from 6 to 8 PM at the @alamodrafthousedc for our annual Teacher Appreciation Celebration! But wait, there's more! We’re hosting a raffle with over $1,000 worth of prizes from: - Washington Nationals (@nationals ) - Teaism (@teaism_dc ) - Roaming Rooster (@roamingrooster1 ) - The National Museum of Women in the Arts (@womeninthearts ) - The Kreeger Museum (@kreegermuseum ) - Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens (@hillwoodmuseum ) - Barnes and Noble Georgetown (@bngeorgetowndc ) - Circle Yoga (@circleyogadc ) - Spy Museum (@spymuseum ) - and more! Register so we know you’re coming! Use the link in our bio or right here: https://tr.ee/Xm7ag0qTqI Love the mural in that first photo? It was created by @versatilevice !

Earlier this month, we hosted a workshop led by Ashley Cuthbertson at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The workshop focused on understanding and reducing burnout. Participants were equipped with equity-centered tools and practices that reduce burnout by addressing systemic stressors and streamlining planning and decision-making through culturally responsive approaches. Titled, “Sustainability in Crisis: Using Equity-Centered Practices to Reduce Burnout in Arts Classrooms,” this professional learning intensive was designed to help arts educators and teaching artists move beyond survival mode and toward sustainable practice. Rather than focusing on personal resilience or “self-care,” this session reframed burnout as a systems issue and introduced practical, equity-centered strategies that reduce strain, clarify expectations, and support long-term sustainability. Participants engaged in hands-on learning, collaborative analysis, and real-time practice grounded in authentic arts education and teaching artist contexts. Attendees were also offered stipends for participating. This workshop was made possible thanks to funding from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. @thedcarts

These students are on a garden journey at @hillwoodmuseum ! 🦋🌷🌼 In this program, students explore the enchanting Japanese-style garden and French parterre and compare and contrast the style of these two very different landscaped gardens. They use their senses to observe each garden closely and imagine how the gardens change throughout the seasons. Afterward, they enjoy a hands-on art project, making a mixed media collage flower design, inspired by the colors and shapes in the gardens! This is such a magical Spring field trip. 🌱Thank you, @hillwoodmuseum , for providing this program to DC students! ℹ️ This program was offered through DC Collaborative’s Education Programs Catalogue at no cost to DC Public Schools and DC Public Charter Schools.

Join us at The Highbinder, the spy-themed bar inside Alamo Drafthouse DC Bryant Street, to celebrate our local educators, teaching artists, and arts education supporters! Perch at the marble bar top, lounge in the Italian leather seating, or bask in the Spring weather on the outdoor patio as we celebrate you! Expect a free raffle with prizes from: - Washington Nationals (@nationals ) - Teaism (@teaism_dc ) - Roaming Rooster (@roamingrooster1 ) - The National Museum of Women in the Arts (@womeninthearts ) - The Kreeger Museum (@kreegermuseum ) - Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens (@hillwoodmuseum ) - Barnes and Noble Georgetown (@bngeorgetowndc ) - Dumbarton Oaks (@dumbartonoaks ) - and more! Free to attend Registration link in bio

Local educators tell us all the time: we couldn't do this without you. With your support, we can continue to facilitate: - Vital arts education experiences that get students out of their schools and into the museums, theaters, historic homes, and galleries all around DC. - Bringing artists, performers, writers, and more straight to classrooms for in-depth and hands-on learning. - School registration, transportation arrangements, and student/teacher assessments FREE OF COST to public schools. You can find our donation link in our bio and right here: https://tr.ee/a90R7jehlP

Looking for your next big move? Inside you'll find: - 15+ arts and humanities job listings - Unique family-friendly events - Opportunities with National Theatre Foundation, the Center for Craft, 202Creates, and more! Find information about everything listed above in our bio and right here: https://tr.ee/RqtPdRhep9

"As spring arrives and flowers bloom, I’m reminded of the strength and care that carries our community forward. Every day, our educators, partners, and students continue to show up, adapt, and move this work ahead. Like nature, we rely on all levels of the arts education ecosystem—the gardeners, protectors, and supporters who make progress possible year after year. For us, that means: • Organizations dedicated to serving local youth • Teachers bringing arts and humanities into their classrooms • And a community—like you—who sustains this work through giving With these partners, the Collaborative can continue to: • Bring bold arts programming directly to our city’s schools • Provide responsive professional development shaped by educators’ real needs • Publish research that captures the multi-layered impact of arts education in DC Your partnership is the reason this work continues to grow and thrive. You would be supporting educators who would otherwise not be able to offer arts programming. Your gift today ensures we can keep blooming—together." Alorie Clark Executive Director 🌸 Find the link to donate in our bio.

Company E brings the magic of dance to DC schools! Company E performed IMPULSE!, a 45-minute collaborative performance using dance, live and recorded music, and storytelling to follow one character’s search for his own pulse. The show reveals that all living things — including the Earth — have a unique heartbeat, and that protecting the planet’s pulse ultimately protects our own. This program was offered through DC Collaborative’s Education Programs Catalogue at no cost to DC Public Schools and DC Public Charter Schools. Everyone say, "Thank you, Company E!" Follow their work at @companyearts

✨ NEW WORKSHOP ✨ Sustainability in Crisis: Using Equity-Centered Practices to Reduce Burnout in Arts Classrooms Join us for an in-person professional development session on strategies to reduce burnout facilitated by Ashley Cuthbertson, M.Ed, NBCT. This session will equip arts educators and teaching artists with equity-centered tools and practice routines that reduce burnout by addressing systemic stressors, strengthening community, and streamlining planning and decision-making through culturally responsive approaches. When? Friday, April 10, from 10 AM to 5 PM Where? National Museum of Women in the Arts Cost? $0 and a lunch stipend will be provided! Registration required! Find more information in our bio and right here: https://tr.ee/jVvbtHg72S

This month, students traveled to Cuba and danced their way into Yeila's story at @imaginationstage ! About the show: Young Yeila dreams of being a superstar, but her lack of confidence gives her awful stage fright. With advice from her mother and mentors, Yeila begins her journey to find her roots, get confidence, and be amazing! Travel with Yeila, who visits her grandmother in Cuba to add a salsa flavor to her own hip-hop style! The audience gets to dance along in this dynamic participation play where one actress creates three generations of lively women. Journey with Yeila as she discovers the fun of her multi-cultural heritage. 💚 Thank you Imagination Stage for offering this program to DC public school students!