Side x Side was honored to be chosen as a presenter at the Maine Department of Education’s 2024 Summit: Supporting the Whole Student & School Community on August 8th. Executive Director Beth Wilbur Van Mierlo, staff member Meghan Scribner, and teaching artist Jill Osgood led a hands-on workshop called, Arts Integration: Literacy, Bookmaking and Birds.

The workshop included an overview of the Side x Side model, a slideshow of arts-integrated programs and professional development, and time to create a handmade arts-integrated book.

Participants were guided through the process of bookmaking, including learning watercolor and wax resist techniques, and observational drawing using bird mounts from Maine Audubon. The workshop highlighted areas where the arts authentically support social emotional learning and holistically address the needs of students with learning differences. It also demonstrated how an arts integration project engages students, deepens learning, and supports teachers to embrace creativity during a literacy unit. Participants learned firsthand how allowing students agency and expression leads to deeper understanding, and demonstration, of content knowledge.

The studio skills taught in this workshop were designed to be applicable to a variety of content areas including social studies, math, and science.