ACE Program
ACE Program
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Through internship placements with local professional artists, ACE empowers high school students with specialized skill development, real-world experience and transferable skills that are inaccessible in the confines of a high school art classroom.
Avanti students can apply to participate in the program during the fall of their junior or senior year. Students are accepted based on a demonstrated interest and ability in the arts, with intentional emphasis placed on applicants from underserved communities; increasing equity and inclusion in the arts is foundational to the program mission. Once admitted to the program, students are matched with internship placements in one of three pathways:
A) Entrepreneurial - strategies to build effective business models for professional artists
B) Commercial - access to design oriented fields (advertising, graphic design, illustration, etc)
C) Fine Arts/Education - preparation for post high school arts focused educational options
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Criteria to Participate
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Must be a junior or senior during the 24-25 school year.
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Must have approval from your advisor to apply to the ACE program.
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Must be able to commit to a minimum of 2.5 hours each week working with a teaching artist for sixteen consecutive weeks (December thru April).
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Must commit to weekly meetings (minimum one hour every Friday) with the program cohort, as well as at least three longer field experiences (dates TBD).
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Must have successfully completed an art learning plan at Avanti and be able to demonstrate an interest in creative design, visual problem-solving, and an arts-related post-high school pathway.
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Must create a visual installation of original work to present at BOTH Avanti’s spring exhibition AND Olympia Spring Arts Walk.
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Timesheet for documenting hours
Tips from seasoned ACE Teaching Artists:
"Have patience and care for the learner's process."
"Be prepared to explain not just artistic practices but also the social practices that go alongside the artistic. Teenagers are weird and sometimes need more help than they let on!"
"Drop expectation and trust that it is an experience for the students that you can’t control."
"Make sure you have time for this! Track your students progress and hours as you go."
"This program is designed to create a partnership. Remember to always include your student(s) as part of the team; encourage them to bring their interests to the table so that you can facilitate ways for them to pursue their interests. Anything that you might do - invite them along!"
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Timesheet for documenting hours
Tips for students from ACE Teaching Artists:
"Enjoy the opportunity to learn in a low-stakes environment. Don't stress too much about trying to attain proficiency in your selected medium, just take the time to play and experiment with art and the resources you're being offered."
"Be open and experiment! Embrace the new."
"Make sure you have time for this!"
"Be curious, take risks, experiment with new materials, look at a lot of art on line to figure out what you like and don't like, and remember to let your imagination soar! There are no limits!"
