The artist residency is the centerpiece of the Michigan Wolf Trap Program. An artist residency is a partnership between a professional artist and a teacher that produces new and effective performing arts teaching strategies for use in the preschool classroom. The teacher draws on the artist's expertise in creative movement, music, and drama; the artist draws on the teacher's knowledge of child development and early education. Together, they develop and refine activities that help children learn social, emotional, physical, and cognitive skills.
The Wolf Trap Institute and the Michigan Wolf Trap program train early childhood professionals to use performing arts techniques in the classroom to accomplish the following goals with their children:
Improve self-awareness and build self-confidence
Foster group awareness and social competencies
Develop gross and fine motor skills
Increase motivation and enthusiasm for learning
Improve ability to concentrate and observe
Master conceptual and verbal skills
Foster individual artistic creativity
Michigan Wolf Trap offers one-week and seven-week residencies. A one-week residency consists of an artist working with four groups of 3-6 year old children and classroom teachers for five consecutive days. Sessions take place between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Also included in the residency is one teacher training workshop and one in-service training.
A seven-week residency consists of an artist working with one group of 3-6 year old children and a classroom teacher twice a week for seven weeks. In addition, the artist and teacher meet before and after each session to discuss progress, solve problems, and plan for upcoming sessions. Most sessions take place between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., although afternoon sessions can be scheduled.
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