May 23, 2018 – The Near North District School Board is pleased to announce that Widdifield Secondary School Visual Arts Teacher Samara Paleczny has been accepted into the Art21 Educators Program.
Art21 is a PBS series featuring contemporary artists which provides successful applicants with a year-long professional learning opportunity resulting in six graduate credits from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. The program is open to teachers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico and involves a lengthy application progress. Samara Paleczny is one of only two Canadians accepted in the program for 2018-2019.
The Art21 Educators Summer Institute will take place from July 6–11, 2018 at the New York Public Library and will focus on the educator as researcher. Teachers will be provided with the opportunity to challenge themselves, take productive risks, and engage with Art21 artists to learn more about utilizing contemporary art to teach about big ideas and the important questions facing us today. Teachers in attendance—both the new cohort and program alumni—will be able to utilize both the librarians’ knowledge and the library’s vast collection to explore critical research questions that will impact their classroom teaching during the 2018–2019 school year.
In order to qualify for the program Samara Paleczny was required to submit unit plans, lesson plans, a video application, and examples of how the Art:21 Program is referenced in her classroom.
“The Near North District School Board is extremely proud of Samara Paleczny and this significant achievement. This achievement showcases the superior quality of our teachers and their continuing dedication to ensuring that our students are provided with the highest quality of education.”
Jackie Young, Director of Education, Near North District School Board.
