Arts Education EXPRESSIONS

You may have noticed that this year's Back to School edition of Nebraska's Arts Education EXPRESSIONS is a bit later than usual. No, it's not because I've been slacking off or didn't want to reach out to you. I've been hard at work with with members from the State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education (SEADAE) as we have prepared and piloted the Customized Arts Learning Toolkit or CAL. Last week, a team of us from SEADAE presented at the Annual Convening of Arts Education Partnership.

CAL is a resource designed to strengthen arts learning through equipping teachers with tools and resources so they can engage their students in authentic artistic and cultural experiences. The Customized Arts Learning Toolkit supports personalized learning in arts education by providing educators with ways to support a variety of student populations, addressing gaps that impair learning. Customized Arts Learning focuses on arts learning to bridge academic learning and personal development.

"It's a way to engage our students deeply in learning about arts and culture and then express themselves through the arts," said a pilot teacher from New Jersey. In a recent discussion with the pilot teachers, SEADAE members were excited to hear how the CAL toolkit builds sustainable art learning practices from preparing, experiencing, and then recapping arts learning, as well as sparking curiosity and increasing student engagement and capacity to build empathy. "I like how the toolkit guides you through the process while still giving you options to create meaningful experiences for your students," said another teacher from Oklahoma.

Created by a dynamic team of fourteen individuals whose role is to lead and support arts education in their state at the state education agency, the CAL Toolkit has been a multi-year project, combining the knowledge and experience of the team members, as well as collecting evidence-based instructional strategies from a variety of sources.

Want to learn more? Visit the Customized Arts Learning Toolkit website, or check out one of the webinars that SEADAE members have done for the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) or Educational Theatre Association (EdTA). I am also presenting on the CAL Toolkit at upcoming conferences and workshops, including the Nebraska Art Teacher's Association Fall Conference and Nebraska Music Education Association's Conference.

-Cody

The Customized Arts Learning Toolkit was supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The National Endowment for the Arts supports the arts through their grantmaking and reaches every congressional district in the United States.

Celebrate National Arts in Education Week, September 14-20, 2025. Arts education provides opportunities for students to create, innovate, express themselves, and thrive! Involvement in the arts helps kids build collaboration and communication skills and learn to problem-solve. Arts Education isn't just about the concert, show, or production, it is about the learning that happens as students draw, sculpt, act, play an instrument, sing, dance, or design and create sets.

Nebraska's own Danielle Laurion, dance instructor at Omaha South High School and the University of Nebraska Omaha, joined with a team to kick of National Arts in Education Week at an Americans for the Arts webinar on Friday, September 12, 2025. How will you celebrate National Arts in Education Week?

Nebraskans for the Arts (NFTA) is Nebraska’s leading voice for arts education. NFTA works at both state and federal levels to secure support and funding to ensure all students have access to high-quality arts learning. As part of this mission, NFTA shares powerful stories that illustrate the positive impact of the arts on students’ lives.

One way Nebraskans for the Arts celebrates excellence in arts education is through the NebraskARTS Award which honors a school or school district that exemplifies a strong commitment to arts education. Nominations are now open! Nominate your school today! Applications are due October 17, 2025.

For questions about the NebraskARTS Awards, please contact Dr. Lance Nielsen at info@nebraskansforthearts.org or (402) 853-4461.

July 4, 2026, marks the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Spark excitement for the revolution that changed everything. Coming this fall, The American Revolution premieres on PBS and will be accompanied by a powerful new classroom resource collection on PBS LearningMedia.

Featuring compelling videos, rich primary sources, and ready-to-use student engagement tools, this expansive collection, based on the themes and topics in the series from Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, is sure to bring history to life and ignite curiosity in every student.

Looking for high-quality resources that are deeply connected to your students’ lives and Nebraska's cultural fabric? That's where Nebraska Public Media shines. From inspiring videos to interactive lesson plans, Nebraska Public Media offers a wealth of tools to help students see themselves, their histories, and their artistic possibilities in what they create.

Check out this compelling video that gives a vivid glimpse into their programming and educational mission. The visuals, storytelling, and tone all reflect a deep commitment to place—Nebraska’s landscapes, communities, arts, and voices. It’s a great way to share with students, spark discussions around who they are, and explore creating art rooted in where we live.

Explore standards-aligned classroom media, local content, curriculum-support for all levels, professional learning, and teacher guides that have all been created by Nebraska Public Media and other Public Media Stations across the nation.

The start of the year is the perfect time to look back and make mindful changes in your classroom. To build a friction‑free, project‑based music space, involve students in the process. Together, list last year’s positives and the areas that need work. Turn those insights into shared expectations and outcomes. Discuss how each should look, sound, and feel in class. Test your norms with a small‑group songwriting icebreaker in Soundtrap, pausing to name and celebrate the great things you notice from your kids. Keep spotlighting them all year. It’s a powerful way to connect with students while giving students ownership. Read the full article from Shed the Music for the lesson templates and an interactive songwriting activity.

Opera Omaha has many education programs and resources for the 2025-2026 school year that are at no cost to you or your school. Highlights include: student dress rehearsals for all mainstage operas throughout the season, Opera Omaha's Poetry & Music Project with free writing workshops, and a new Opera & Literature curriculum resource. Visit Opera Omaha's Education Programs website to learn more.

High schools and middle schools of any size and experience level are invited to participate in the Nebraska Theater Academy (NTA). NTA supports and celebrates theater education across the state of Nebraska with master classes with Broadway professionals, both in-person and virtual, performance opportunities, professional feedback on school productions, a chance to represent Nebraska at the Broadway League's National Jimmy Awards, and so much more! Contact the education staff at Omaha Performing Arts for more information.

Find inspiration in our collection spanning 5,000 years of human creativity in art, or experience one of the dozen exhibitions on view this school year. Connect your classroom to The Joslyn and spark your students’ love of learning and curiosity. Learn more at The Joslyn's website. And remember, admission is free to all, always.

Can't make it to The Joslyn? Bring the museum to your classroom with The Joslyn's Digital Guide available on Bloomberg Connects.

Looking for resources to teach opera? Joining with Opera America, Opera Omaha helped develop the new Humanities and Opera Education Hub. Designed for high school educators, the Humanities and Opera Education Hub provides educational materials focused on literary works that have been adapted into operas and films. With the Education Hub resources, teachers can guide students in examining how stories are transformed through opera and film. Students reflect and respond to different creative choices and gain a deeper appreciation for storytelling and interpretation.

Some of the works and materials available include:

• The Autobiography of Malcolm X
• Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer
• One Hundred Years of Solitude & Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
• Macbeth by William Shakespeare
• A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
• Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

The Education Hub provides lesson plans, slides, and other ready-to-use materials. These resources aim to help teachers inspire curiosity about opera by connecting it to literature their students already know and enjoy.

In addition to Omaha Symphony's in person concerts, the OSO has a free Virtual Classroom full of digital concert recordings. This isn't just for elementary teachers, instrumental teachers there's even a full Learning Library filled with short instrument-specific content. These are great resources for your ensemble for independent work, full class sub plans, or post-concert activities. Experience the Omaha Symphony Orchestra in your classroom today.

Explore foundational American principles, such as liberty, self-governance, and democracy through media-making with your middle or high school students this school year. PBS Learning Media’s The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge draws on themes covered in The American Revolution, the upcoming documentary series premiering November 16, 2025, by filmmakers Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt.

The Challenge invites students to make media to share their knowledge, ideas, and understanding of important Revolutionary ideals and historic events. The Youth Media Challenge, hosted by PBS member station KQED, showcases student voice through the use of media, such as audio, video, or graphics-based projects. PBS is excited to partner with KQED to offer a nationwide opportunity for middle and high school students to share what they know about the American Revolution and its legacies.

Matt Mason brings poetry to life with his presentations. Through reading poems, conversation, sometimes writing with students, Matt helps students see poetry as something they can and should be excited about. He's run programs for the U.S. State Department and presented in all 93 of Nebraska's counties, find more at his website.

Thinking about setting up a recording studio in your classroom? This free checklist will help you get started, giving your students hands-on opportunities to create, record, and explore music in new ways.

A recording studio within a music room can be a powerful tool for student learning and fostering creativity. Not only do students find the recording studio fun to use, it also provides opportunities for listening and editing of recordings in a distraction-free environment. Along the way, students learn technical skills in recording, microphone placement, and the use of DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations). Teachers can use classroom studios for playing tests, individual or small group work, as well as to pre-record examples and excerpts, concert introductions, and more.

Check out the Creating a Classroom Recording Studio Checklist from Theresa Hoover and Kathryn Finch, music teachers and authors of Pass the Baton: Empowering Students in the Music Classroom. Read the book, listen to the podcast, and explore resources on how to shift ownership of your music classroom to your kids.

The Calibraska Arts Initiative is now in Nebraska all year and wants to know how we can bring media arts and the creative industries to your community! From our unique classes/camps/workshops in media arts to internships, partnerships, professional development opportunities, class visits and more, we are here to support Nebraskans of all ages on their creative journeys. Visit Calibrask's website to learn more about the organization, fill out the dream survey and check out resources page with a robust list of software and equipment to bring animation and media to your home or to your classroom.

The Merryman Performing Arts Center in Kearney is presenting Mutts Gone Nuts in partnership with the Kearney Area Animal Shelter as part of the Morris Matinees series. Students will experience a dozen of the world’s most talented four-legged performers in a comedy dog spectacular, learn to appreciate the arts, and learn about adopting pets.

Eleven years after the release of the National Arts Standards, the National Coalition for Arts Standards (NCAS) has announced the review of the national standards. The National Arts Standards have played and continue to play an integral role in improving and supporting arts education for America's students, with nearly all states having revised the state’s arts education standards since 2014.

This review process will help the National Coalition for Arts Standards gather the latest knowledge, research, and best practices while addressing the evolving needs of the nation’s students and ensure that the arts remain central to a well-rounded education. To best inform decision-making, the public input from the first phase of the review will be analyzed to help NCAS establish goals and determine the scope of the review.

To help all stakeholders understand the review process, the National Coalition for Arts Standards, comprised of ten member organizations, has released an Outline of the Standards Revision Process (below). Additional information and ways to be involved will be shared in the coming months.

If you have any questions, please email contact@nationalartsstandards.org. The National Coalition for Arts Standards (NCAS) is an alliance of national arts and arts education organizations dedicated to supporting and promoting sequential, standards-based arts education as part of a well-rounded curriculum that ensures artistic literacy for all students. The coalition formed in 2011 for the purpose of creating and supporting national arts standards.

The Great Plains Orff Chapter (GPOC) will hold its fall workshop featuring Victor Lozada at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on Saturday, October 11, 2025, from 9 AM CT to 1 PM CT. Check out GPOC's 2025-2026 workshop lineup. Register today! As always, students are free.

The Midwest Kodaly Music Educators Association invites you to attend their Connecting Voices, Bridging Distances a virtual conference on October 10-11, 2025. Join a variety of sessions ranging from student composition, folk dancing, selecting choral rep for children's choirs, and more. Watch individually or organize a group watch party.

The Nebraska Art Teacher's Association is excited to host the annual Fall Conference October 17t-18, 2025! Come and listen to keynote speakers Therman Statom, and a panel of mural artists; Watie White, Reggie Leflore, and Oria Simonini. This year's conferences takes place at in Omaha at The Joslyn and the Benson Creative District. Join art teachers to collaborate, learn, and get inspired by what other art educators are doing all over the state of Nebraska!

Join music teachers and students from elementary, middle, and high school in Lincoln on November 20-22, 2025, for the Nebraska Music Education Association's (NMEA) Conference/In-Service Clinic. While students participate in children's choir, middle-school ensembles, and high-school ensembles, teachers can attend professional learning sessions with some of the nation's and state's greatest music educators and guest clinicians.

That's not all NMEA does. Join committees working to support engagement and retention of music teachers across the state, apply for an NMEA Innovation in Music Education Grant, or jump into a conversation about music teaching and learning with teachers across the state in the Hot Spots.

It's Marching Season! Join the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association who celebrates and champions "Better Bands for Nebraska." Register for a marching competition or check out the many resources that have been created by band teachers and for band teachers. This year includes both field and parade marching.

Mark your calendars! The fall Nebraska Thespian state meetings will be October 8, 2025, at Millard West High School in Omaha and December 10, 2025, at the Hilton Downtown Omaha, both from 1:30 PM CT to 6:30 PM CT.

The Nebraska State Thespian Festival will take place January 8–10, 2026, in Omaha—a celebration of theatre, creativity, and community you won’t want to miss! Festival registration is now open. Secure your spot today. For full details, visit the Nebraska Thespian's website or reach to the board at board@nebstatethespian.com.

The 2025-2026 Plains States Kodaly Organization (PSKOR) event and workshop schedule has been set! Join other music teachers at a PSKOR event or check out the lesson plans library from Dr. Cooper from the University of Nebraska Omaha.

The Nebraska Arts Council (NAC) has educational grants and programs available! Learn more about School Bus Arts grants for field trips and Artists in Schools/Communities grants to hire teaching artists on the Apply for a Grant section of the NAC website. Look under Discover Education to find out about Poetry Out Loud, which is free of charge for high schools, libraries, and non-profit organizations.

Artists in Schools/Communities Grants provide funds to hire artists from Nebraska Arts Council’s Artist Roster to lead interactive sessions conducted online or in-person. In these sessions, artists share their expertise through creative and educational demonstrations, performances, or guided arts activities. Sponsors can hire an artist for school or community visits consisting of three sessions or a residency consisting of 10 or more sessions.

Presenting the State Poet Grants provide financial assistance for Nebraska nonprofit organizations and accredited public or private schools to host events featuring the current Nebraska State Poet, Jewel Rodgers.

School Bus for the Arts Grants underwrite the cost of a field trip for K-12 students to attend professional arts events, including concerts, dance, or theatre performances, and cultural exhibits at museums or other venues.

Looking for visual inspiration every time you open a new tab? Add ArtsyTabs to your Chrome Browser and enjoy a new piece of art from the Smithsonian's National Gallery of Art.

Listen to the latest Omaha Symphony performances on the Omaha Symphony YouTube Channel.

Bring color, creativity, and connection to your planning and lesson development with free resources from the Art of Education.

Explore traditional and music arts with VIRGINIA ROOTS, an Emmy-winning production of Blue Ridge PBS and the Virginia Department of Education. Find a place for traditional music and crafts in the school curriculum and help all understand the place of mountain music in the broader culture. A new season is now available featuring pottery, engraving, basket making, quilting and gourd painting!

Create chord progressions of all kinds with ChordChord. Encourage your students to improvise and create music of their own with a looped accompaniment.

Dive into cultural knowledge and arts of Native communities of American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native peoples in the United States with resources from the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation.

Create your very own animation easily with Canva's Animated Video Maker.

Have your kids sharpen their perception of color with Color Game. Explore hue, saturation, complementary colors, and more.

Randomly set up your theatre improvisation with the Improv Suggestion Generation from Improv Glasgow. Ask for words, emotions, locations or job and see what happens next.

Check out the dance lesson plans, sample units, and assessments from the National Dance Education Organization.

Links to third-party websites do not constitute an endorsement of the content, viewpoint, accuracy, opinions, policies, products, services, or accessibility of the sites.

• ESU Professional Development Staff, District Supervisors, Department Chairs, and Organization Leadership: Please send this information to the arts educators in your service area, district, or organization.
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Let's connect and work together for all kids in Nebraska to have access and opportunities in arts education.

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Physical: 500 South 84th Street, 2nd Floor, Lincoln, NE 68510

Mailing: PO Box 94987, Lincoln, NE 68509-4987

Email: cody.talarico@nebraska.gov

Website: education.ne.gov/finearts

Instagram: @nde_gov
Phone: (402) 314.7822

Links to third-party websites do not constitute an endorsement of the content, viewpoint, accuracy, opinions, policies, products, services, or accessibility of the sites.

Decisions about curriculum and instructional materials are made locally by individual school districts and classroom teachers. The Nebraska Department of Education does not mandate the curriculum used within a local school. The digital tools shared in this newsletter are shared with teachers to increase their knowledge on how the application or site could be used in the classroom; however, students should only use digital tools and resources, and only those tools and resources, that have been approved by the teacher’s school district for student use.

Pictures from canva.com (no attribution required) or provided by the school or organization and used with permission. Organization logos used with permission. Student artwork shared with permission of the competition coordinator.