To better connect Colorado Springs’ local arts community with its students and teachers, the Pikes Peak Region Cultural Office has launched a new online search tool to simplify the process.
PeakArtsEd.com is the region’s first centralized tool where educators and community members can discover and book local creative classes, educational programs, field trips, camps and more from local arts organizations.
The online hub is the latest addition to COPPR’s PeakRadar.com, an online cultural calendar for the Pikes Peak region and audience development program.
The website provides media exposure, cultural guides and information on local artists, arts organizations and venues.
The website features dedicated search features for educators, community members and organizations, as well as step-by-step instructions to help anyone find exactly what they are looking for.
“This is our biggest expansion of PeakRadar.com, our flagship program, in years,” COPPR Executive Director Angela Seals said in a press release. “This powerful site continues to connect our community to arts, culture and entertainment, increasing access, stimulating our creative economy and encouraging participation in the arts – now in new ways.”
PeaksArtsEd is also the latest step in COPPR’s Arts Vision 2030 plan, which aims to make arts education opportunities provided by local artists and organizations more accessible.
The portal shares similarities with Denver-based Think 360 Arts For Learning, a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting local arts programs with K-12 schools and other community institutions.
Local educators can look for programs such as field trips, arts-integrated workshops and school performances.
“There’s even a standards drop-down menu that’s really helpful for teachers in the classroom to help them validate the addition to their classroom work,” said Melissa O’Rear, education program manager at COPPR.
Beyond public education, community members can take arts classes in theater, music, dance and visual arts. Classes are designed for a variety of populations, from youth to those over 55, including special programs for military families and community members who need access or therapy options.
At the same time, arts organizations in the region can promote their courses and programs for free all year round by simply creating a profile on PeakRadar.com.
When the tool was launched on August 14, 19 local organizations had already signed up to be included on the site. Since then, seven more groups have joined.
O’Rear said they would like to increase the number of participants to 50 by next spring.
The program is already having an impact: it is helping local schools access materials and resources that they would not otherwise have had access to.
“When a school makes a deliberate effort to use the arts to teach, the content is taught on a much deeper level,” said Ian Schimmel, assistant principal at Widefield Elementary School of the Arts. “Risks are taken, laughter is involved and the whole child is taught.”
O’Rear is in the process of presenting the program to representatives of school districts in the area to raise awareness.
Although the program’s focus is on the arts, there are also opportunities for a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. The science, technology, and social science/world history categories are already listed as options for a liberal arts education.
Once the tool is more widely known and established, O’Rear hopes it can also be used as a one-stop shop for accessing available funding, school curricula and even training individual teachers.
“This could be a landing page where teachers can find their own professional development opportunities,” she said.
“PeakArtsEd is a game changer for our community, providing arts programming in an accessible, one-stop shop,” said Marcia Hendricks, executive director of the Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale. “This tool benefits arts educators and arts organizations alike by expanding program access for students throughout the Pikes Peak region.”
