Summer Arts Integration Workshop Series
K-8 educators are invited to join us this summer for hands-on workshops led by exceptional teaching artists that seamlessly integrate arts and non-arts curriculum standards. Attend one or more sessions as your schedule permits. No arts experience is necessary.
This year’s workshops will be from June 23–25, 2026, at the Pullen Arts Center
- Choose from six workshops — attend one or as many as you’d like!
- Morning & afternoon sessions each day (9:30 AM–12:00 PM & 1:15–3:45 PM)
- Free lunch when you attend both sessions on the same day
- Earn 0.25 CEU per workshop
- $10 per session or $50 for all six
- Scholarships available
- Stipends available for completing 3+ workshops
REGISTRATION COMING SOON
Classes for the 2026 Summer Series:
ARTS INTEGRATION FOR EVERYONE
Tuesday, June 23, 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Teaching Artist: Mimi Herman
Whether you’ve been integrating the arts for decades or you’re not sure exactly what people mean by that funny phrase, “Arts Integration,” this workshop is for you! We’ll explore science, social studies, ELA and math through dance, theatre, visual arts, music and writing, in a variety of engaging activities, all based on the NC Standard Course of Study. We’ll close the workshop by defining Arts Integration and figuring out how all of these new ideas will work in your classroom with your curriculum, your teaching style and your students.
Mimi Herman is the director of the United Arts Council Arts Integration Workshop Series. The author of The Kudzu Queen, she has taught over 25,000 teachers and students—many of whom would rather scrub a bathtub than write a poem—to fall in love with writing and integrate the arts across the curriculum.
INVIGORATING YOUR CURRICULUM WITH IMAGERY
Tuesday, June 23, 1:15 PM – 3:45 PM 
Teaching Artist: September Krueger
Explore how art can spark dialogue, challenge perspectives, and bring people together. Reading images opens doors to multiple voices, themes and ideas, and gives a platform for meaningful discussion.
Be a curator for the afternoon and design an art exhibition for the future. Art is not limited to the art room — it can be a powerful entry point in any grade level and subject area. From analyzing historical context in social studies, to exploring patterns in math, to inspiring narrative writing in language arts, artworks invite inquiry, critical thinking, and cross-curricular connections. With short exercises in drawing, writing, data visualization, history, and economics, we will fill the afternoon with ideas and oh, so many images!
September Krueger is an artist and educator who has the joy of working with all ages as the Curator of Education and Public Programs at the Cameron Art Museum. She also loves to be elbow deep in quilting fabrics and printing inks.
DANCING MATH: AN EXPLORATION OF WALKING THE LINES TO BUILD SHAPES 
Wednesday, June 24, 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Teaching Artist: Erin Badger-Coffey
In this whole body learning experience you’ll discover math curriculum standards and objectives through dance and movement. We’ll use our bodies to explore geometry for K-2 and 3-5 students, experimenting with non-locomotor and locomotor movements in various directions, levels, and pathways while dancing together in a safe classroom space. From there we’ll segue into developing your own integration lesson for you to use in your classroom.
Erin Badger-Coffey discovered at a young age that, like many children who are sensorially driven, she learns best through movement. Since 2013, Erin has been supporting early childhood educators by providing arts-integration professional development in the classroom and virtually throughout North Carolina and Virginia as a Wolf Trap Dance/Movement Teaching Artist. Most recently, Erin joined the team of Fellows with A+ Schools of North Carolina.
RHYTHM AND MELODY: A TOOLBOX FOR ENRICHING CORE CURRICULA 
Wednesday, June 24, 1:15 PM – 3:45 PM
Teaching Artist: Diane Petteway
Welcome to a rich exploration of simple musical tools that will excite and engage your students! Combining the musical building blocks of rhythm and melody with teacher-selected standards and concepts, Diane will lead participants in creating original content that unlocks tricky, hard to teach ideas. This musical play space will connect to all teachers—veteran musicians and timid music-makers alike will find a plethora of easily applicable strategies to connect kids to core content in natural, easy ways. Expect to come away with catchy new songs and rhythms that will turn up the volume AND the learning all year long!
Diane Petteway, a dually certified regular classroom and music educator with a Masters in Arts Integration, retired from public school education in 2019. She currently teaches both young PreK students and 55+ adults with Dancing Man Productions. She is passionate about using the arts to create community.
TEACHER AS STORYTELLER: USING ORAL LANGUAGE TO BUILD LITERACY, CULTURAL AWARENESS, AND COMMUNITY
Thursday, June 25, 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Teaching Artist: Stuart Stotts
In this workshop, participants will learn storytelling skills and approaches which can improve story comprehension and recall in beginning readers. Storytelling can help to lay the foundation for comprehension strategies such as questioning, determining importance, sequencing, and developing sensory images. Participants will learn three stories and will learn to lead activities using storytelling techniques to explore story understanding and recall. This workshop is especially geared for teachers who work with early elementary students, as the strategies do not require that students are competent readers yet.
Stuart Stotts is is a storyteller, author, musician, and teaching artist from LaFarge Wisconsin. He’s worked with schools and educators for over 35 years, focusing on creativity, literacy, and bringing joy to classrooms and teachers. More information at www.StuartStotts.com.
STEAM WRITING: EXPLORE ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS WHILE YOU SLEEP!
Thursday, June 25, 1:15 PM – 3:45 PM
Teaching Artist: Mimi Herman
Discover the Poetry Nap, a relaxing and delightful way to inspire your students to up their game in writing, while deepening their understanding of science, social studies and ELA. In this Steam Writing workshop, you’ll become your favorite animal in the wild, then nap your way to a brilliant poem–even if you’ve never thought of yourself as a writer before! We’ll close by brainstorming all the different ways you can use Poetry Naps to enliven any part of your curriculum.
Mimi Herman is the director of the United Arts Council Arts Integration Workshop Series. The author of The Kudzu Queen, she has taught over 25,000 teachers and students—many of whom would rather scrub a bathtub than write a poem—to fall in love with writing and integrate the arts across the curriculum.
Arts Integration Lesson Plan Directory
Explore our searchable directory of arts integration lesson plans for Wake County educators. Developed by Arts Integration Institute participants, the directory contains nearly 100 plans to inspire and engage you and your students!
Arts Integration Lesson Plan Directory
For more information about arts integration opportunities, contact Ragen Carlile at [email protected].
