This 6-week Winter Session of online classes for new and returning elementary-aged youth runs Wednesday, January 19 through Saturday, March 5, 2022.   

This project is a continued collaboration between Parks and Recreation, Office of Arts & Culture, Seattle Public Schools, and Creative Advantage Arts Partners, this program started as a pandemic pilot in December 2020 and grew into classes last spring.  

These free classes are led in real-time by master-level teaching artists and take place after school and on Saturdays. Students must enroll through the Seattle Parks & Recreation online ActiveNet registration system to receive the secure class Webex links to participate from their homes, community centers, and housing sites.   

Sign up the young artists you know through the links below, and help us spread the word about this amazing free arts learning opportunity. 

Magic Words & Magic Powers with Jay Thompson 
Jan 19 – Mar 2, 2022;  Wednesdays 5 – 6 p.m.

Poetry can be a great tool for grounding youth in the power of imagination and language and inviting them to find new magic in everyday life. Teaching artist Jay Thompson of Seattle Arts & Lectures’ WITS program will invite students to use their five senses, explore their homes, play with words, and delight themselves with their poems.   

Meet the Teaching Artist

Jay (he/they) is a Seattle poet, parent, and teaching artist working with youth and adults at Writers in the Schools, Hugo House, and King County Jail. 

Virtual Dancing our Natural World with Ciara McCormack 
Jan 20 – Mar 3, 2022; Thursdays 5 – 6 p.m.
Great for students in grades 2-4  

Movement can share and express what you know, think, and feel. Join Pacific Northwest Ballet teaching artist Ciara McCormack to explore using nature and our physical world as inspiration for movement. 

Meet the Teaching Artist 

Ciara (she/her) has worked with students of all ages in dance studios, theaters, and schools in the US and Chile. Along with teaching for PNB’s Community Education program, she directs Moving Minds Dance, performs with Intrepidus Dance, and serves as the President of the Dance Educators Association of Washington.  

Virtual Pop-up Books and Paper Magic with Jiéyì Ludden
Jan 22 – Mar 5, 2022; Saturdays 10 -11a.m.  
Great for students in grades 3-6  

Learn how to cut and fold paper to create 2D and 3D shapes with teaching artist Jiéyì Ludden of Arts Corps. Together, you’ll explore design strategies, crafting, and storytelling in an inclusive environment.  

Meet the Teaching Artist 

Jiéyì 杰意 (they/them) is a visual artist, illustrator, and teaching artist. They have developed visual arts and arts-integrated STEM, maker, and civic engagement curriculum for the Madison Children’s Museum, the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, the Madison Public Library, Pacific Science Center, and the Seattle Public Library.