Mississippi Whole Schools

Home
United States
Jackson, MS
Mississippi Whole Schools

Every child deserves to be taught in and through the arts, nurturing the imagination.

Mississippi's Whole Schools Program is an arts integrated conceptual approach to re-designing school environments to create a culture of collaboration and transparency. The Whole Schools Initiative, Mississippi’s first comprehensive statewide arts education program, uses the arts as a vehicle for promoting high-quality instruction and learning for students in all disciplines. This unique program g

oes far beyond “art for art’s sake” and applies the learning power of the arts across the entire curriculum. The Five Goals of the Whole Schools Initiative are:

1.To improve student academic achievement through the integration of the arts into the basic curriculum.

2.To enrich the lives of students by increasing their skills and knowledge in all arts disciplines.

3.To assist the professional and personal growth of teachers and administrators through arts experiences.

4.To use the arts to increase parental and community involvement in schools.

5.To assist schools in building a sustainable system for supporting arts integration and arts infusion.

09/11/2026

Mississippi Whole Schools took the national stage at the 2026 Arts Education Partnership Annual Convening in Jacksonville, Florida!

Mississippi Arts Commission Arts Education Director Charlotte Smelser and Arts Researcher Dr. Robert Horowitz presented “Arts Integration as a Framework for School Change,” highlighting the impact of MWS’s more than 30 years of work with educators across Mississippi.

Their session explored findings from a recent multi-year study showing that arts integration continues to positively impact student learning and lead to meaningful educational gains. Attendees also learned research-based strategies and key conditions that help create lasting success for students, educators and school communities.

Thank you to Charlotte and Dr. Horowitz for sharing Mississippi Whole Schools’ work with arts education leaders from across the country!

Arts Education Partnership

09/09/2026

Meet Damein Wash, one of the newest members of the Mississippi Whole Schools team! 👋

A musician, composer, conductor and educator, Damein blends his Mississippi gospel roots with classical training to create a sound all his own. He holds degrees in Choral Music Education and Music Theory from the University of Mississippi and brings more than two decades of experience in teaching and choir direction.

Damein has performed nationwide as the frontman of The Soul Tones and a member of Three Grand, while his music has been featured in Hallmark films and television shows. He also leads workshops across Mississippi and runs Washboard Studios, where he produces projects like Deep South Gospel.

Grounded in Southern tradition and always exploring new ideas, Damein brings a wealth of creativity and experience to Mississippi Whole Schools. Help us welcome him to the team!

09/07/2026

Join Mississippi Whole Schools for the September Teaching Artist Collaborative session!

In “Collaborating with a School Leader,” Kit Norris will share a school leader’s perspective on what makes teaching artist partnerships successful. Participants will learn more about navigating campus culture, leadership priorities, schedules, communication systems, and student needs.

- September 15, 2026
- 12:00 PM
- Zoom

Join here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81126291659?pwd=b40dQqeXWgn9vR8EvVrmVze7wSJTX1.1

Ready to continue growing as a teaching artist? Applications for the Teaching Artist Certification Program are open September 1–30, 2026. The program begins in January 2027.

Learn more and apply: https://mswholeschools.org/teaching-artist-certification/

09/04/2026

What happens when an artist has two days, three grade levels, and an ice storm disrupting the plan?

Teaching artist Antoinette Badenhorst shares how she used paperclay to connect visual art with science, math, and language arts lessons for kindergarten through second-grade students. From The Little Red Hen to Arctic habitats, her story shows how creativity, flexibility, and strong teacher partnerships can turn unexpected challenges into meaningful learning.

Read the full story on the Mississippi Whole Schools blog!
https://mswholeschools.org/blog_post/bringing-a-school-together-through-arts-integration/

Interested in building the skills to create meaningful arts-integrated learning experiences of your own? Applications for the Teaching Artist Certification Program are open September 1–30, 2026. Learn more and apply at mswholeschools.org/teaching-artist-certification/

09/03/2026

Applications are officially OPEN for the Teaching Artist Certification Program!

Designed for teaching artists ready to deepen their practice, this rigorous program builds skills in arts integration, leadership, lesson design and effective partnerships within PreK–12 learning environments.

Participants who complete the program receive recognition from the Mississippi Arts Commission as certified in arts integration, while building their professional portfolio and connecting with other teaching artists across the state.

- Applications are open September 1–30, 2026
- Program begins January 2027

Ready to take the next step? Learn more and apply at mswholeschools.org/teaching-artist-certification/.

09/01/2026

A new school year means new opportunities to bring learning to life through the arts!

Across Mississippi Whole Schools classrooms, teachers and staff use theatre, dance, music, visual arts, and more to help students connect with lessons in meaningful ways. Arts integration doesn’t just make learning more engaging—it gives every student new ways to understand, participate, and succeed.

Mississippi Whole Schools is excited to see how these creative approaches take shape in schools across the state this year!

Learn more about Mississippi Whole Schools: mswholeschools.org

Rankin County School District
Tupelo Public School District
Casey Elementary School - JPS
Jackson Public Schools
St. Anthony Catholic School

08/26/2026

Miss Summer Institute? No worries, we’ll be back next July!

Get ready for more creativity, connection and hands-on learning designed to bring the arts to life in classrooms across Mississippi.

Visit mswholeschools.org to learn more about Mississippi Whole Schools and stay tuned for Summer Institute updates!

08/21/2026

Teaching Artist Collaborative is back! Join us on August 25 at noon for the next Teaching Artist Collaborative session, “What Is a Teaching Artist, Really?” with Roxie Clayton.

This session will explore how Mississippi Whole Schools defines the role of a teaching artist in supporting arts integration. Participants will learn how teaching artistry differs from performance work and examine the core competencies that guide effective practice within MWS.

Join here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81126291659?pwd=b40dQqeXWgn9vR8EvVrmVze7wSJTX1.1

08/20/2026

We see quite a few new faces around here, along with many familiar ones, and we’re so glad you’re here! 👋

This year’s Summer Institute welcomed more educators who are not currently part of the Mississippi Whole Schools program than ever before. We also welcomed 100+ new followers, so we thought this was the perfect time to reintroduce ourselves!

Mississippi Whole Schools helps educators bring learning to life through the arts. We believe every child deserves to learn in and through the arts, and that creative, engaging instruction can help meet the unique needs of every student.

Through professional learning, resources and a growing community of educators, we model, cultivate and support arts-based learning across Mississippi.

Whether you joined us at Summer Institute, recently followed along or have been part of this community for years, we’re so happy you’re here. Welcome to MWS!

Learn more about who we are and what we believe: mswholeschools.org/our-story

08/19/2026

The Mississippi Whole Schools team gathered last week in Ocean Springs for our annual Team Retreat! We were excited to welcome back Dr. Cameron Jenkins to help us connect, collaborate and prepare for another year of supporting arts integration in schools across Mississippi.

The team also had the opportunity to explore Ocean Springs and the Walter Anderson Museum of Art. It was a wonderful week and we're excited for the year ahead!

Walter Anderson Museum of Art
Cameron W. Jenkins

Address

501 North West Street, Woolfolk Building-Suite 1011A
Jackson, MS
39201

Telephone

+16013596040

Website

http://www.mswholeschools.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Mississippi Whole Schools posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The School

Send a message to Mississippi Whole Schools:

Want your school to be the top-listed School/college in Jackson?