"The Peace Center...

Since 1995, the Peace Center for the Performing Arts has been a leader in innovative arts in education training, with the initiation of our Partners in Education collaboration through The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In 2004, the Peace Center initiated Intensive Development in Education through the Arts (IDEA), which provides outstanding professional development for teachers at all grade levels. Teachers may earn non-degree graduate credit through Clemson University as well as district recertification points for their participation.

IDEA provides opportunities for educators to attend a variety of training events, created by nationally-recognized and local teaching artists to share practical and effective strategies for integrating drama, music, visual art, creative writing, poetry and creative movement into teaching all subjects. These arts-integrated strategies engage students in learning, helping them make deep and personal connections to events in history, concepts in math, characters in a story, processes in science... truly extending into all areas of the curriculum.

Through the IDEA Program and a variety of education initiatives, the Peace Center strives to serve as an advocate for the arts in education and as a champion of best practices in arts integrated teaching.

For more information about IDEA, please contact Staci Koonce.