Frequently Asked Questions

• For Site Coordinators
• For Parents and Docents

FOR SITE COORDINATORS

1. My school just purchased the Art in Action program. How can I get other parents involved?

There are many opportunities to inform parents about the Art in Action program:

• Request that the Art in Action staff do a presentation at your school or PTA meeting.
• Send home fliers telling parents about the program, asking interested parents to contact you.
• Make a pitch about Art in Action at Back to School Night and have sign-up sheets ready for interested parents.
• Set up leadership roles within your school such as grade level docents or art supply coordinators.
• Attend the kindergarten welcome session at your school to get kindergarten parents excited about ways they can participate in programs involving their children.

2. What are the duties of a site coordinator?

• Work directly with the Art in Action Program Director to implement all aspects of the program in your school.
• Recruit and direct school docents, grade level coordinators, supply coordinators, and art show curators.
• Schedule training for all your docents.
• Serve as a liaison between docents and school staff.
• Work with your art show curator to select and deliver student artwork to the library for monthly art shows, plan the school spring art show, and coordinate the Art in Action summer art show.
• Place an order with Art in Action for ARTboxes and other necessary supplies.

3. What positions are available for parents who want to support the program? What are the responsibilities of each position?

Docent:

• Teach Art in Action lessons to students.
• Coordinate lesson schedules with the classroom teacher.
• Attend fall training workshop.
• Coordinate monthly library art selection with art show curator.
• Mount selected artwork for spring art show.

Docent Assistant:

• Arrive before the lesson begins to assist as necessary.
• Prepare classroom for the lesson and clean up afterwards.
• Assist with setup and cleanup of the school spring art show.

Art Show Curator:

• Coordinate selection and delivery of student artwork to library on a monthly basis.
• Arrange facilities and materials for school spring art show.
• Advertise the school spring art show.
• Work with docents and assistants to mount and display student artwork.
• Assist site coordinator and Art in Action Program Director with summer art show.

Supply Coordinator:

• Take inventory and reorder ARTboxes, art prints, and curriculum books in May.
• Keep track of supplies and prints during the year.
• Keep supply area in order.
• Coordinate mounting paper and other display materials for school spring art show.

4. How do I get teachers at my school excited about the program?

• Encourage them to attend training: Art in Action offers custom on-site training sessions at which teachers can learn about the program levels designed for their grade and curriculum integration benefits.
• Remind them of the benefits of art: Art stimulates critical thinking, fosters self-expression, builds self-esteem, and provides academic and aesthetic literacy—skills that will help students excel in their core academics. Additionally, the Art in Action curriculum is aligned with the state standards in art.

5. How does my school participate in library shows?

Each school should have an art show curator who coordinates the monthly art show for the school. Art in Action, in partnership with local libraries, will arrange and distribute a master schedule of projects and dates for each school. Schools are responsible for delivering their artwork to the library, helping put up and take down the artwork, and returning artwork to the school.

FOR PARENTS AND DOCENTS

1. I do not know anything about art or teaching. Can I still participate in the Art in Action program at my school?

Absolutely. Art in Action provides comprehensive, program level specific training for all docents. The training workshops introduce docents to the masterpieces, themes, and projects in each level. Docents learn how to lead discussions and demonstrate the important skills, concepts, and features of each lesson. They are taught basic drawing skills, how to use materials, and tips for helping students extend their skills. The accompanying Art in Action curriculum book is set up so that, after attending training, docents will have no trouble following and teaching the lessons.

2. Where do I get art prints?

Art in Action provides one set of art prints in each grade level Starter Kit. Additional sets of prints are also available for purchase. The site coordinator at your school will have prints available for your use. Schools may store the prints in individual classrooms or in the art room. Check with your site coordinator to locate the prints at your school.

3. Where do I get a curriculum book?

Curriculum books are always available for purchase at Art in Action. One curriculum book is also included in each grade level Starter Kit and in every Full ARTbox. Your site coordinator will provide these books for your use. If you would like your own copy, please contact Art in Action directly.

4. Where are my school’s art materials?

Some schools buy ARTboxes, art supply kits that contain all the materials needed to teach the twelve lessons in each program level; some schools purchase their own materials separately. Art supplies are generally stored in your school’s art room or in individual classrooms. The site coordinator at your school can tell you where to find the materials you need.

5. How do I schedule lessons with the teacher?

In some schools, the site coordinator sets up a schedule for all the teachers and docents. If this is the case at your school, you should receive a schedule from your site coordinator. If not, you may need to work directly with your classroom teacher to set up a lesson schedule. Check with your site coordinator to find out how to proceed.

6. How long do the lessons take?

The K-3 lessons last 45 minutes to 1 hour. The 4th-8th grade lessons require between 1 and 1 1⁄2 hours. Setup and cleanup take approximately 15 minutes each.

7. What if we don’t have time to do all 12 lessons? How do we choose which lessons to do?

The Art in Action program levels are discipline-based, sequential, and thematic with lessons built on concepts and skills learned in previous levels. We recommend teaching lessons in the order they appear in the curriculum book. If you don’t have time to complete all 12, we suggest that you consider the variety of medium, the skill level of your students, and the curriculum of your individual school when selecting the lessons for the year.