Register for the conference or check-in at the Guild booth.

High-quality arts education programs can address adolescents' developmental needs by supporting the acquisition of artistic and life skills, positive self-image, and a sense of belonging. Yet recent research by the National Guild indicates that many arts education providers are challenged to sustain teens' involvement in robust out-of-school time programs.

The Engaging Adolescents Institute will illuminate how you can increase teen participation by revealing what teens want, what they need, how to engage them, and how to sustain their involvement in the arts. Join top youth arts leaders from across the country as we explore:

• The purposes and goals of arts education for adolescents
• Key tasks of adolescent development
• The conditions necessary to maximize youth participation
• Model programs
• Effective methods of engagement

During the institute, we'll examine case studies of remarkable youth arts education programs that produce extraordinary results for teens, organizations, and communities. Come prepared to contribute to the dialogue and get ready to roll up your sleeves to develop an action plan for your organization.

The Institute curriculum is derived in large part from the Guild's recently released Engaging Adolescents: Building Youth Participation in the Arts. This guide has been designed and published as an e-book and is available free online. We encourage you to review it prior to attending the Institute. To do so, go to http://tinyurl.com/engagingadolescents (The file is high resolution and may take a while to load.)

Through case studies, examinations of critical issues, dialogue with expert practitioners, and hands-on practice with planning and evaluation tools, we will discover what makes arts education partnerships effective over time. The Institute brings together multiple partnership stakeholders - executive, program and education directors; teaching artists; public school administrators; classroom teachers; and others - who want to advance their practice of partnership and collaboration.

As a participant, you will:

• Identify the benefits and challenges collaboration
• Discover the characteristics of effective, sustainable partnerships
• Learn the management skills necessary for establishing and sustaining effective partnerships
• Learn methods for overcoming common partnership challenges
• Practice applying tools for planning, implementing, and evaluating partnerships and work with experts and peers to address your particular partnership challenges
• Increase your skills and confidence in developing new or existing partnerships
• Develop a partnership action plan for your organization.

True partnerships, characterized by mutual understanding and commitment, collaborative planning, and shared responsibility and accountability, have powerful, long-term effects on students, faculty, institutions, and communities. The Arts in Education Partnership Institute provides the tools and training needed to launch or further develop successful partnerships with K-12 schools.

Join us and gain the tools, resources, and know-how needed to increase access to arts education through robust, effective partnerships with public schools!

In 2011, individuals gave more than $200 billion to charitable causes. Did your organization get its fair share? During this highly-interactive, in-depth workshop you’ll learn how to find, cultivate, and solicit major donors. We’ll also explore what motivates people to give and how to build a fundraising infrastructure to achieve your goals—even if your time is limited or you’re a one-person shop.

We’ll discuss the importance of a case for support and explore how to create this vital document. We’ll look at who gives major gifts and why. We’ll practice the nine steps that will prepare you to ask for significant gifts and techniques for building donor loyalty that will keep them coming back to your cause.

Expect a session that is “fast-paced, comprehensive, and very rich in content.”

“He made it work! Excellent and energizing – left feeling better about making the ask!” – 2007 workshop participant

Register for the conference or check-in at the Guild booth.