Applications for the 2024/25 Core Program are now open. Check out the application here! Priority Deadline is September 16.
Take your teaching to the next level! The TAT Lab Core Program is a 6-month, interactive professional development course where participants explore learning plan design and teaching methods, learn to develop inclusive and culturally responsive environments for youth, and build community with a statewide cohort of peers.
The Core Program is open to Washington State arts educators, teaching artists, school-based arts specialists, youth arts providers, and classroom teachers working in all artistic disciplines.
The program operates in a cohort format. Some sessions will meet as a full cohort (up to 30 participants) and some will meet as subcohorts (7-9 participants). Sessions are held primarily online via Zoom, with one in-person weekend in Seattle.
Tuition: $500 – see below for scholarship, sponsorship, and R.I.S.E. Award information.
This video features members of the TAT Lab faculty and community discussing a key instructional design concept- a Big Idea. This video explores what makes an effective Big Idea and the value of using one with students. The video features TAT Lab faculty, 2022 cohort participant reflections, a 2nd grade classroom using a Big Idea in their dance class, and an interview with a classroom teacher about the power of a Big Idea for student learning.
Core Program Schedule
The Core Program is primarily remote, with one in-person weekend in April. Closed captioning is available via Zoom.
Participants meet for 32 session hours with an additional 1-3 hours per month of independent work. Participants must commit to completing all sessions as well as some independent work.
How the Program Works
- Teaching Artists: individuals who identify as artists and educators. Teaching artists are professional artists dedicated to teaching as an integral part of their practice; they cultivate the craft of teaching alongside their work as artists.
- Certified Teachers: teachers working in PreK-12 grade classrooms as arts specialists, art teachers, non-arts content teachers who are interested in adding arts integration and arts learning goals to their daily practice.
- Youth arts providers: individuals working independently or with community-based organizations to provide arts experiences and learning for youth within the school day or out-of-school time.
Educators underrepresented in the arts are encouraged to apply! Teachers of color, teachers working in rural areas or outside the Puget Sound region, teachers with dis/abilities, LGBTQIA+ educators can also apply for the TAT Lab Teaching Artist R.I.S.E. Award (see below).
Participants will:
- Learn about Instructional Design and the elements of effective lesson plans.
- Explore teaching frameworks such as Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Washington State Arts Learning Standards, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and more.
- Create inclusive and culturally responsive learning spaces for youth and integrate social justice throughout your work.
- Track your impact with reflection and assessment practices.
- Experience creative processes from all artistic disciplines.
- Gain tools and resources to expand your abilities as an advocate for arts education in your community.
- And join a vibrant statewide community of peers working in education.
Eligibility:
- Applicants should live or work in Washington state
- Have prior experience as a teaching artist and/or educator utilizing the arts
- Identify as one or more of the following:
- Arts educator, teaching artist, school-based arts specialist, youth arts provider, or classroom teacher.
Application Timeline:
- Priority Deadline: September 16, 2023
- Notification: October 25, 2023
Applications received after the Priority Deadline may be reviewed if space is available in the cohort. Dates are subject to change.
Application Process:
Prepare your application and choose one method (online or phone) to apply:
- Preview: Preview the application here to prepare your answers in advance
- Apply online: Applications are open now. View the application here!
- Apply over the phone. You can email or call to request a phone appointment and a TAT Lab staff member will ask you the application questions in a phone conversation. To contact us, email TATLab@PNB.org or call 206.441.2415 (please leave a voicemail message).
TAT Lab Core applications are reviewed by TAT Lab faculty and staff to build a diverse and dynamic cohort. The team reviews applications for:
- Clarity of purpose and professional and personal goals
- Commitment to complete all aspects of TAT Core curriculum
- Demonstrated focus on empowering youth and children through arts learning
- Clear interest in self-reflection and collaboration
Tuition, Scholarships & Sponsorships
TAT Lab Core Tuition: $500
Scholarships: Financial support is available and may be requested as part of the program application.
Organizational Sponsorship: Arts and education organizations are encouraged to support their teaching artists and educators by covering a portion of TAT Lab tuition. Applicants may reach out to a potential sponsoring organization and ask them to complete this Organizational Sponsorship form.
Do you have questions about tuition? Reach out to us! TAT Lab values participants regardless of their ability to pay.
Teaching Artists R.I.S.E. Award
The Teaching Artists R.I.S.E. (Representation, Inclusion, Service, Education) Award provides tuition-free spots in the TAT Lab Core Program for up to four nominees who represent identity groups historically underrepresented in TAT Lab. Educators can be nominated by a peer or nominate themselves during the application process.
Purpose: To honor and support diverse arts education voices in Washington state, and to build a dynamic TAT Lab cohort representative of the state’s population.
Nominees must meet TAT Lab participant criteria:
- Currently working as a teaching artist or arts educator serving youth (preK-12) in Washington state
- Clarity of purpose and professional development goals
- Commitment to complete all aspects of TAT Core curriculum
- Focus on empowering youth and children through arts learning
- Interest in self-reflection and collaboration
Additionally, R.I.S.E. Award nominees should:
- Identify as a member of and/or work directly with one or more of these communities:
- Black Indigenous and People of Color communities
- LGBTQIA+ communities
- People with disabilities
- Multilingual or English Language Learner (ELL) communities
- Immigrant and/or refugee communities
- Rural communities
- Communities outside King and Pierce counties
- Be recognized within their arts/education community as an important voice in arts education.
Nominate a candidate:
- When program applications are open, email a letter of recommendation to TATLab@PNB.org or complete the R.I.S.E. Nomination Form by the Priority Deadline to tell us who you’d like to nominate for the R.I.S.E. Award and why! We’re interested in hearing about why they are an important emerging voice in your arts and/or education community including their:
-
- Focus on empowering youth and children through arts learning
- Demonstrated community engagement and collaborative practices
- Let your nominee know you nominated them and tell them about TAT Lab
- TAT Lab staff will invite the nominee to complete the TAT Lab Core Application, either online or via a phone call with TAT Lab staff.
- TAT Lab staff and faculty will evaluate and offer Awards to selected nominees by the notification deadline.
Self-nominate:
- Complete the TAT Lab Core Application, either online or via a phone call with TAT Lab staff, by the application deadline. The application includes an opportunity to indicate your interest in the R.I.S.E. Award and to tell us how you and your work are a good fit.
- TAT Lab staff and faculty will evaluate and offer Awards to selected nominees by the notification deadline.
Program Impact
In 2019, TAT Lab surveyed alumni to learn more about the impact of TAT Lab across Washington state. Some highlights from this survey include:
- TAT Lab’s estimated reach through alumni work is:
- 2,175 schools
- 555 organizations
- 172,971 students
- Alumni have reached over 14 Washington state counties; with additional alumni reporting working in 12 different states and 4 countries.
- Alumni most frequently work in the public school system and with out-of-school time arts education programs.
- 1 in 3 alumni reported having worked in specialized settings such as a prison, hospital, or crisis center.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the TAT Lab program, please contact TATLab@PNB.org or call 206.441.2415 (please leave a voicemail message).