Hundreds of teachers will descend on Gander for the next two days to make puppets, tell stories and create art in clay. They are delegates attending Arts Work III, an interactive conference which gives teachers innovative suggestions for bringing art into the classroom.

"These teachers are going to learn from the best," said the Honourable Joan Burke, Minister of Education. "Professional development such as this is important as it gives teachers opportunities to work with professionals and bring back what they learned to their classrooms and enhance the curriculum."

Well-known musicians and artists such as Jean Hewson, Julia Pickard and Ed Kavanagh will be there to share their talents and ideas with the teachers. With Michael Crummy as the keynote speaker, delegates can look forward to high-level, hands-on professional development.

Conference sessions go far beyond traditional arts training. Teachers will learn how to use technology in music, how to integrate visual art in social studies, and the secrets of a successful school production. More than 49 workshops are being offered that can help teachers at any level of the education system.

The conference will also include an awards presentation honouring teachers who have made an exceptional contribution to arts in their schools or communities. The recipients will receive a piece of art commissioned specifically for this purpose. The artist, Michael Pittman, will be on hand at the awards� ceremony to describe his work. Funds will also be provided to each award winner�s school to support arts programming.

Funding for this conference comes from the Cultural Connections strategy. "The Williams Government firmly believes that strengthening arts and cultural content in our schools is a key factor in instilling pride in our history and respect for our heritage," said Minister Burke. "To that end, the Provincial Government is investing $10 million in our Cultural Connections strategy. We are in year three of this initiative, with the goal of increasing the presence of cultural content in the school curriculum, and fostering links between artists and students in the school environment."

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Media contact:
Jacquelyn Howard
Director of Communications
Department of Education
709-729-0048, 689-2624
jacquelynhoward@gov.nl.ca