JACKSON, MISS. – June 11, 2018 – This week on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the 2018 Whole Schools Initiative Summer Institute will be held June 11-15 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 arts are a powerful educational vehicle, and numerous studies have shown that arts integration enhances student learning,” said Malcolm White, executive director of MAC. “For the entire week, educators attending the WSI Summer Institute will gain knowledge to incorporate the arts into their classrooms. They will also take part in arts experiences to delve deeper into their own sense of creativity as they gather tools to help students discover theirs.”

This year, the opening reception for the conference will feature a conversation with Chef Robert St. John and artist Wyatt Waters. St. John and Waters are hosts of the Mississippi Public Broadcasting TV series Palate to Palette, where the two follow their passion for cooking and painting across their home state of Mississippi and abroad. St. John is a MAC Commissioner and Waters is a past recipient of a Governor’s Arts Award for Artistic Excellence.

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.

Contact:  Anna Ehrgott | Communications Director | aehrgott@arts.ms.gov | (601) 359-6546