Start with the Arts for HOME-based providers Deb Norris October 28, 2022

Start with the Arts is an inclusive, intensive mentoring program for home-based childcare providers caring for children preschool age and younger. Quality children’s books are extended with rich, arts-based experiences, something from every genre, to help the children and providers explore and find their best expressive means. Our updated program includes new content focused on social and emotional learning. Our teaching artists model the program for the providers for the first 12 weeks, and providers create, deliver, and document their own arts-based literacy activities after that, for a total of 16 lessons. One goal of the program is that at the end the providers themselves will have the inspiration and confidence to continue the use of the model on their own. Start with the Arts Program Outline: Consists of 12, weekly, 1 hour visits led by SWTA teaching artist, with a teaching artist and provider working together as a team With 3, 2-hour professional development gatherings held outside of traditional daycare hours 4 additional weekly visits led by the provider with SWTA teaching artist support Plus an additional 2 hour professional development gathering session Plus 3 additional monthly follow-up visits led by the provider with SWTA teaching artist support (Summary: Total number of visits including the children =19, 16 are weekly, then 3 monthly. Plus 4 total professional development gatherings, 2hrs each. Scheduling of all of these sessions is flexible depending on what works for both the teaching artist and provider.) A public display is planned by the teaching artist and provider to celebrate the provider's and children's commitment and participation in the program and encourage family and public awareness. Providers will document the lessons that they lead on their own in the form of logs, copies of which will be collected by Inclusive Arts Vermont for PD documentation Providers earn 20 PD hours, 6 of which can be applied towards advanced specialized care.