Research Symposium

BIO

Hello, my name is Audrey Milligan. I grew up in Pretoria, South Africa and moved to the Jacksonville, Florida area in 2021. My research interests include Art Education, Civic Engagement, Painting, and Ceramics. I intend to graduate with my BFA in Studio Art and my MS in Art Education, after which I plan to teach K-12 art.

Teaching Tallahassee: An Interdisciplinary Civics and Art Curriculum Project

Abstract

This research investigates two goals. Firstly, developing a model for institutions of higher education, like FSU, to provide opportunities for K-12 teachers to understand how civic engagement can be nurtured on a local level. Secondly, fostering the collaborations of art, history, and civics educators and faculty, to develop an effective and evidence-based curriculum focused on civic engagement and participation in Leon County K-12 school students. It is necessary to investigate these goals because there is a gap in curriculum that needs to be addressed. The project has spanned two years, the first to write the curriculum, and the second to implement it. This semester the focus of this semester was the shadow puppet classroom project in the FSUS elementary art classroom. The methods of this project consisted of observing the classroom and documenting student interviews, as well as conducting background research. This background research consisted of creating a repository of teacher resources that will serve as a guide in art and civic curriculum development for educators. The preliminary results of this project have found that combining civic education with art education helps to connect students with their community while fostering creativity. The final results are expected to be published within the next year. The significance of this study is to bridge the gap between practice and educational research. This is specifically important within art education which can do more to bridge civic engagement learning outcomes.

Keywords: Art-Education, Civic Engagement, Teaching Tallahassee, K-12 art