Continuing Education

Evening for Educators

Evening for Educators at the Columbia Museum of Art provides professional development for South Carolina's teachers, school administrators, and curriculum specialists. This quarterly program is designed to give attendees tools to use in the classroom through workshops, interactive discussion panels, and studio project presentations.

FREE registration includes refreshments and other educational resources. Attendees will also receive documentation for Professional Development renewal credit.

See Recorded Programs

Teacher Workshops

Designed for small groups, in-depth teacher workshops use the Museum's art collections and exhibitions to introduce new ways of thinking about the curriculum and to show innovative teaching approaches. Each educator receives an illustrated teacher packet and a certificate of participation.

CMA Educator In-Service Workshops

Why not take your in-service out of the classroom? Gather a group of team members or colleagues at the museum for professional development that stresses cross-curricular education, hands-on activities, and firsthand art experiences. In-service workshops are available for group of 6 to 15, at a cost of $25 per participant. The fee includes gallery admission and all workshop materials, including digital toolkits or card sets to take back to your classroom. All participants will earn professional renewal credit hours.
 
Contact the museum at tours@columbiamuseum.org at least four weeks in advance to book your in-service program.
 
History through Images and Objects
Social studies isn’t all about documents! Images and objects provide wonderful insights for students at any level. Join us to discuss how visual images fit into the social studies curriculum, including the new standards, and what assessments with object-centered learning can look like.
Registration fee covers all materials, including a digital copy of the CMA social studies toolkit.
Participants will earn seven hours of professional renewal credit.
 
Visual / Verbal : Exploring the Relationship between Visual Art and Language
This workshop dives into the complex connections that students can make between visual images and language, both verbal and written. In this dynamic half-day workshop participants will learn about the Visual Thinking Strategies methodology and build on those skills with activities that can be adapted for use in the classroom. Activities include poetry strategies developed and led by writer-in-residence Ray McManus. Registration fee covers all materials, including one set of CMA Words & Works cards. Participants will earn seven hours of professional renewal credit.
 
The Artful Designer: Using Art Objects to Develop Design Thinking Skills
With design at its core, this workshop gives an overview of the South Carolina Design Thinking Standards and how art can be infused in these cross-curricular STEAM-centered design projects. This full-day workshop provides participants with a curator-led guide through the museum’s design gallery, as well as hands-on games and activities that can be modeled and modified for use with students as work collaboratively to develop design thinking mentality. Registration fee covers all materials, including one set of CMA Person, Place, Product cards. Participants will earn five hours of professional renewal credit.
 
The Art of Mindfulness
There is a growing call to incorporate practices of mindfulness in the classroom. These exercises can build empathy and encourage students to better understand their thoughts and actions. This workshop examines the intersection of art-making and mindful practices that can benefit teachers and students in any classroom. Registration fee covers all materials, including one Art of Mindfulness digital toolkit. Participants will earn four hours of professional renewal credit.

Start with Art: Multisensory Fun for Early Learners
It’s no secret that early learners thrive on visual stimuli. Art provides a rich source for young children to explore. This workshop explores how to engage toddlers and preschoolers with art in a variety of ways, from image selection and questioning techniques to cooperative play and hands-on activities. Participants will come away with toolbox of practices to tap into young children’s senses, emotions, and motor skills. Participants should allow four hours for this workshop.