Visual Arts Center of New Jersey

The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey will partner with the Elizabeth Public Schools to develop the capacity of museum educators and teachers to utilize visual art and the experience of visiting a museum to engage and empower immigrant students. The CALTA21 Professional Development Institute will provide training for museum staff and 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th grade English Language Learners (ELL) teachers from the Elizabeth Schools. This visual literacy approach to object-centered and museum-based education, which includes the use of personal narratives, has proven effective in developing language and when integrated with current ELL best practices. The training will enable the partners to develop plans to implement the CALTA21's Identity, Portraiture and Photography curriculum during the 2017-18 school year in support of the museum's ongoing efforts to more fully engage its underserved inner city community.