Kennedy Center Education | Digital Learning
Operating as usual
03/17/2023
Want to teach about Irish culture through traditional folk music and dance? Check out the The Kennedy Center featured lesson plan: Céilís: Exploring Irish Folk Dance. Designed for grades 3-5 but easily adaptable for any age group. Includes links to a range of additional content if you just want to pick and choose. Our library is like a pot of gold, where you'll also hopefully find all the joy your heart can hold! https://www.kennedy-center.org/lessons-and-activities ☘️
02/01/2023
Langston Hughes was born on this day in 1901. Check out our lesson plan, "Discovering Rhythm, Improv, Jazz, and Poetry" where students explore the works of Hughes, Yusef Komunyakaa & Sonia Sanchez & apply musicality & sound elements to original poems! https://www.kennedy-center.org/discoveringrhythm
07/19/2022
Happy National Urban Beekeeping Day! Did you know there are active and thriving beehives on the roof of the Kennedy Center?! National center for the performing arts and honey production! How sweet is that! 🐝🎻
04/22/2022
Happy Earth Day! We have some lesson plans that will help your students appreciate the many wonders of our planet in arts-informed ways. Topics include recycling, weather, butterflies, sunflowers, trees, and more! 💚 🌎 💙 http://ow.ly/vTvT50IPmlJ
04/07/2022
It's Major League Baseball opening day! Step up to the plate for a baseball-themed, interactive, gamified orchestral learning experience like no other. Swing for the fences with our interactive! https://www.kennedy-center.org/perfectpitch
03/02/2022
New episode! | Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems: VARIANT EDITION Mo welcomes you into his studio at home and guides you through drawing activities using one of his favorite characters as inspiration!
02/10/2022
Black History is American History. And our history is reflected back to us through our artists and the art they create.
Featured Resources: Black History Black History is American History. And our history is captured and reflected back to us through our artists and the art they create. The arts raise awareness, uplift spirits, challenge systems, and effect change.
01/28/2022
Happy Friday and Happy Birthday to American painter Jackson Po***ck! This is a great opportunity to explore abstract expressionism and, more broadly, the different elements of art and technique that go into painting. We're taking this moment to highlight our K-2 lesson "Painting: The Art of Self Expression."
Have you tried this lesson with your students? Do you have any other favorite lessons or activities you're using in the classroom to explore painting and self expression? Let us know! https://bit.ly/33XKRu0
Painting: The Art of Self Expression In this K-2 lesson, students will explore elements of art and different artists' techniques to create various styles of paintings. Students will interpret art and describe styles by using key vocabulary terms when discussing paintings.
01/19/2022
Happy Birthday Edgar Allan Poe! This spooky writer was born on this day in 1809, and although he was mostly known as a literary critic during his time, he is now best remembered for macabre classics such as The Pit and the Pendulum, The Cask of Amontillado, and the Masque of the Red Death - just to name a few. If you're looking for a resource to explore more about scary stories and storytelling, check out The Skeleton of a Scary Story, which gets into the guts of what makes a narrative so spooky!
https://bit.ly/3nEDJtc
The Skeleton of a Scary Story What gives a scary story its boo factor? Learn about the tricks you can use to rattle readers.
01/07/2022
Today is the birthday of Zora Neale Hurston, born in 1891. In addition to being an incredibly accomplished author, anthropologist, and filmmaker, Zora was a central figure in the which you can teach your students about with our lesson plan "Musical Harlem" http://ow.ly/rUqm50HpEgt
12/01/2021
Featured Resources: Winter Holiday Traditions Though the weather outside may not yet be frightful, winter is coming. And with it, the possibility that virtual learning has made snow days a thing of the past. So we've collected some great winter-themed digital resources for you and your students.
11/30/2021
Calls to Artistic Action | Kennedy Center Madeleine L’Engle remains best-known for her Wrinkle in Time Trilogy (or Time Quintet). The author’s style grew from participating in different literary and performing art opportunities. Learn how different types of art played a role in L’Engle’s writing development and discover some of L’...
11/29/2021
Our featured resources focus on: Winter Holiday Traditions
Though the weather outside may not yet be frightful, winter is coming. And with it, the possibility that virtual learning has made snow days a thing of the past. So just in case, we've collected some great winter-themed digital resources for you and your students.
Featured Resources: Winter Holiday Traditions Though the weather outside may not yet be frightful, Winter is coming. And with it, the possibility that virtual learning has made snow days a thing of the past. So we've collected some great Winter-themed digital resources for you and your students.
11/18/2021
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Worldbuilding In this 6-8 lesson, students will explore the intersection of science fiction and fantasy from the works of Madeleine L’Engle’s, A Wrinkle in Time Trilogy. Students will create an original character, thing, ability, and/or place using worldbuilding elements. Students will choose between dramatiz...
11/15/2021
During its final week of streaming, make sure to check out the Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences production of kennedy-center.org/awindinthedoor (2nd story in the trilogy by Madeleine L’Engle) & while you’re at it, our “Sci-Fi & Fantasy WorldBuilding” lesson plan kennedy-center.org/worldbuilding, “Meet Madeleine L’Engle,” kennedy-center.org/meetmadeleine, and “Calls to Artistic Action” kennedy-center.org/artisticaction articles.
Are you a fan of baseball? The symphony? Regardless of what your favorite pastime happens to be, our new Perfect Pitch interactive is guaranteed to be a big hit!
10/26/2021
⚾️⚾️ Bring the WORLD SERIES to the CLASSROOM! Check out PERFECT PITCH, an interactive learning tool, and THE ART OF BASEBALL lesson plan. Now you just have to cue up "Take Me Out to the Ball Game!" as students enter the classroom! ⚾️⚾️
INTERACTIVE TOOL: http://ow.ly/Qk6C50GyxTx
THE ART OF BASEBALL LESSON PLAN: https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/lessons-and-activities/lessons/3-5/the-art-of-baseball/
10/19/2021
Our new featured resources focus on: Fall Holiday Traditions
As leaves change and temperatures chill, the season brings opportunities to participate in diverse cultural celebrations. The arts are an excellent way to explore these fall holiday traditions from Halloween (October 31), to El Día de los Mu***os (November 2), to Diwali (November 4).
Featured Resources: Fall Holiday Traditions As leaves change and temperatures chill, the season brings opportunities to participate in diverse cultural celebrations. The arts are an excellent way to explore these Fall holiday traditions from Diwali (October 26), to Halloween (October 31), to El Día de los Mu***os (November 2).
10/17/2021
Happy Birthday Arthur Miller who once said that other than a doctor saving someone’s life, “writing a worthy play was the most important thing a human being could do.” Meet the artist through one of his most important works. https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/media/theater/arthur-miller--death-of-a-salesman/
Mo Willems cares about We Are All Connected so much, he got his first tattoo for it! 👀
Oct. 9, join 240 members of our local community along with Mo himself for a FREE, fun-filled festival of creativity as we create an exciting new playscape together at the REACH ➡ bit.ly/WeAreAllConnected109
Mo Willems invites you to join him and 240+ community members Oct. 9 for We Are All Connected!
This FREE day of creation will be filled with art making, live music, family-friendly activities like chalk drawing, the return of the giant inflatable Pigeon, and more!
RSVP ➡ bit.ly/WeAreAllConnected109
09/15/2021
National Hispanic Heritage Month was established by the US government in 1988 and is celebrated from September 15 to October 15 (a date range that encapsulates independence day celebrations for multiple countries throughout Central and South America). National Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to acknowledge, celebrate, and learn more about the different histories and identities of Hispanic and Latinx Americans and their contributions to identity and culture in the United States. Our featured collection of digital resources fosters multiculturalism with opportunities to self-reflect, explore, and participate in community building through the arts.
Featured Resources: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month Explore visual artists, music, and dance through important artists of the Spanish-speaking world
09/07/2021
Featured Resources: Folklore for Grades 3-5 This collection of resources fuses common folklore themes with theater, math, science, and culture. We think this is a great way to naturally add dynamic ELA and Arts strategies to your teaching toolkit as your students become Cryptozoologists and legends of the past.
Come join us for a tour of the The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with The Pigeon from wherever you happen to be!
Let The Pigeon take you on a tour of the Kennedy Center—whether you're near or far! 🤩📱💕
In this exciting augmented reality experience, The Pigeon from the works of Mo Willems shows you HIS version of the many fascinating locations around the Kennedy Center. No download required for the at-home version!
Explore ➡ bit.ly/PigeonAppKC
07/07/2021
Calling artists ages 14–26! Submit an original portrait of President John F. Kennedy for a chance at a $500 prize & having your artwork displayed in The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for its season. Submit by July 31 ➡ bit.ly/JFKportraits
06/24/2021
Calling artists ages 14–26! 🎨✏🖼
Submit an original portrait of President John F. Kennedy for a chance at a $500 prize & having your artwork displayed in the Kennedy Center for its season.
Submit by July 31 ➡ bit.ly/JFKportraits
06/08/2021
Registration is now open for four The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Kennedy Center Office of VSA and Accessibility online courses. Each course offers a deep dive into different aspects of special education, arts education, and inclusive accessible practices. Learn more and register at http://ow.ly/yAu550F5E7K
• Introduction to the Arts and Special Education
• Differentiated Instruction In and Through the Arts
• Making the Special Education-Arts Education Connection
• Universal Design for Learning and the Arts
05/29/2021
Today is the 104th birthday of John F. Kennedy! Check out the JFK Creative Portraits art contest!
Happy birthday to President John F. Kennedy—born 104 years ago! 🎉
To celebrate this occasion during our 50th Anniversary season, we invite young artists ages 14–26 living in the United States to reflect on the legacy of our nation's 35th president by submitting an original portrait of him as part of our JFK Creative Portraits art contest. 🖼
Ten works will be selected for display in a digital gallery, and one winner will receiving a $500 prize and have their portrait displayed in our Hall of States during our season. 😍
Submissions are open June 1–July 31, 2021! Details ➡ bit.ly/JFKportraits
Enjoy Astor Piazzolla's Oblivion as performed by musicians of the National Symphony Orchestra. 🤩🎶
Catch more performances like this one in our new Young People's Concert taking you on a musical tour of the Kennedy Center with Kwame Alexander at kennedy-center.org/ypc.
NSO Musicians:
Angelia Cho, Violin
Daniel Foster, Viola
Alexander Jacobsen, Bass
Jamie Roberts, Oboe
Just released on our Performances for Young Audiences Digital Subscription—available FREE for schools! 💡🎶
Baltimore-born and D.C.-raised, Grammy-nominated singer Maimouna Youssef (aka Mumu Fresh) blends gospel, jazz, soul, and hip hop in Shine Your Light—an uplifting program designed to encourage listeners to think critically and believe in their own potential. ✨🤩✨
Details ➡ bit.ly/MumuPYA
Come on in for a National Symphony Orchestra Young People's Concert! 🎻🎶💡
The Kennedy Center is your community and home for music, theater, dance, opera, storytelling, poetry, and more from all over the world. This digital concert takes you on a tour of the Center with the spoken-word poetry of Kwame Alexander and an inspiring variety of classical music performed by the NSO & Music Director Gianandrea Noseda. 🎼
In Russian, Chinese, Ghanaian, French, and English: Dobró požálovat´, Huān yíng, Akwaaba, Bienvenue, and Welcome! 🎉
Learning resources for this concert will be available at kennedy-center.org/ypc 📚
Just released on our Performances for Young Audiences Digital Subscription—available FREE for schools! 🎶
Practice makes possible, in music and in saving the day. Scottie Rowell of Atlanta’s Teller Productions and National Symphony Orchestra cellist David Teie join forces to tell the story of an ordinary musician discovering the hidden powers of music to become…Super Cello!
Details ➡ bit.ly/SuperCello
Please join us in welcoming Jacqueline Woodson as the next Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence! 📚🎶🤩
The award-winning author for children, adolescents, and adults will create on and off-stage programming in support of our local & national educational activities. 💡
Learn more ➡ kennedy-center.org/jacquelinewoodson
Just released on our Performances for Young Audiences Digital Subscription—available FREE for schools!
Join Falu in an “Indie Hindi” tour of India, using music from both rock and Indian styles to explore the many regions, languages, cultures, and traditions in India.
Details ➡ bit.ly/digitalPYA
03/06/2021
Three new activities [that you can do at home!] added to the collection covering and education — and many more on the way. Come be a part of the fun and learning! https://www.kennedy-center.org/TeachingArtistsPresent 🎶 💃🏻 🎭
The arts spark creative thinking of our young people in profound ways. It can embolden expression, foster innovation, inspire collaboration and impart global understanding. It can touch students struggling with confidence, agency or motivation—and help convey complex subject matter in ways a textbook couldn’t. And that’s only the beginning.
This is why Kennedy Center Digital Learning has spent the last two+ decades creating a robust library of thousands of digital arts learning resources designed to support educators looking to infuse the arts into their classrooms. Interactives, multimedia, articles, lessons and guides, all authored by the Kennedy Center’s education experts and engineered to kindle creativity in classrooms across the country. Oh, and they’re all free to use, whenever and however you like.
Let us know what you think! We’d love to hear from you.
ARTSEDGE website — the Kennedy Center’s Digital Learning destination.
2700F Street — pre-performance guides for teens and the educators who teach them
Cuesheets — pre-performance guides for elementary & middle schoolers
YouTube — a trove of video resources, short interviews and how-tos
iTunes — the home for our collection of art learning podcasts
Twitter — daily servings of helpful resources & arts educational news updates
Competitive Enterprise Institute The Competitive Enterprise Institute is a public interest group dedicated to free enterprise and lim
Atlas Corps Atlas Corps is developing the world's best social change leaders. More at apply.atlascorps.org
Center for International Education at Washington International School
Spark Media We're a film & digital media company specializing in meaningful work that educates and inspires –
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) RIF is the leading champion for children’s literacy, empowering millions of children to read, lear
Arzuw Foundation "Leadership, Opportunity, Education."
NAFSA Association of International Educators The leading professional association dedicated to international education.
The Eric Friedheim National Journalism Library at the National Press Club Professional Development, Research, Resources, Archives, Book Events, and Scholarships
Environmental Change and Security Program - ECSP Since 1994, the Woodrow Wilson Center's Environmental Change and Security Program (ECSP) has explore
The Institute for College Access & Success www.ticas.org | Promoting affordability, accountability, and equity in higher education.
NANBPWC Inc NANBPWC, Inc. was founded by seven courageous visionaries who sought to: promote and protect the int
American Dental Education Association The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) is the sole national organization representing academic dentistry. We are The Voice of Dental Education. Founded January 23, 1923