JACKSON, MISS. – June 12, 2017 – This week on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the 2017 Whole Schools Initiative Summer Institute will be held June 12-16 at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College on the Jefferson Davis Campus. The Summer Institute is a professional development opportunity for educational and community leaders to learn how to integrate arts into the school curriculum.

Whole Schools Initiative is a program of the Mississippi Arts Commission and Mississippi’s first comprehensive statewide arts education program. WSI uses the arts as a vehicle for promoting high-quality instruction and learning for students in all disciplines. This unique program goes beyond “art for art’s sake” and applies the arts across the curriculum.

“The Whole Schools Initiative Summer Institute harnesses the power of the arts to teach a wide variety of learners,” said Malcolm White, executive director of MAC. “Not everyone absorbs information in the same way, and the WSI Summer Institute is an immersive arts-integration experience that gives teachers and other educators tools to teach any child any subject.”

This year’s event features “The Magic of Magic,” led by illusionist Kevin Spencer. A community meeting, keynote presentation and track of workshops “The Magic of Magic” gives educators insight into the practical applications of magic in the classroom. This program is supported in part by the award from the National Endowment for the Humanities through the Mississippi Humanities Council.

Held annually, the WSI Summer Institute is open to any teacher (pre-k through 12th grade and pre-service, self-contained SPED and arts specialist) artist, school administrator, parent and community arts supporter. Workshops and arts experiences offered during the week-long event allow attendees to engage with presenters from across Mississippi and throughout the nation.

More information is available at http://www.mswholeschools.org or by calling (601) 359-6030.