Initiate Infusion

Through the Initiate Infusion program, an educator and teaching artist can co-submit a proposal for an arts infusion partnership. An independent review panel reads, assesses, and evaluates the submitted proposals and makes funding recommendations to the Board of Directors. Currently, all funding cycles occur in the fall.

Fall 2007

This fall, the Atlanta Partnership for Arts in Learning is funding two partnerships at two different schools - the Horizons School and the International Community School.

At the Horizons School, textile artist Marquetta will be partnering with high school teachers Priscilla Smith and Robert Bauer in an exploration of the geography, history, arts and culture of the Persian Empire during the 14th and 15th centuries. Students will create a handmade book to illustrate their studies. The book will be composed of hand dyed and marbled fabric, hand painting, printing, drawing, and stenciling.

At the International Community School, storyteller McKenzie Wren will partner with ESOL teacher Francie Wallace to investigate relationships between the individual and the global environment using the four elements of fire, water, earth, and air as guiding metaphors. Students will create stories for each element by exploring their own personal connection with the element emphasizing memories from their home country.

Click here to see the 2007 Initiate Infusion proposal outline.
Click here to see the Horizons School proposal.
Click here to see the International Charter School proposal.

Fall 2006

Last year, the Atlanta Partnership for Arts in Learning funded three partnerships at three different schools - the Horizons School, North Atlanta High School, and Grady High School.

At the Horizons school, quilting artist Marquetta Bell Johnson partnered with Cindy Taylor, the 4th and 5th grade classroom teacher. Students created their own personal quilts inspired by their study of Australian Aborigines culture, symbols and stewardship of the Earth.

At North Atlanta High School, visual artist Cheryl Myrbo worked with teachers Natalie Brandhorst and Andrea Childress to have their students examine racism in their own high school. Students created definitions of race, ethnicity and racism and used the definitions to create collages from black and white photos the students had taken of their school, friends, and community.

At Grady High School, visual artist Edith Kelman and art teacher John Brandhorst moved their students' learning outside the classroom by having them participate in a community project connected to the old stone church in the Candler Park neighborhood. Students took on independent projects to enhance the overall community project. The students' projects varied from a stone marker for the church to a walking tour of the hidden history of the neighborhood to architectural renderings of former structures in the church.

Click here to see the 2006 Request for Proposals.
Click here to see the Horizons School proposal.
Click here to see the North Atlanta High School proposal.
Click here to see the Grady High School proposal.

For more information about the program, send an email to initiateinfusion@artsinlearning.org.