The Mansfield Partners in Education Team, comprised of the Renaissance Performing Arts Association, the Mansfield Art Center, and Mansfield City Schools, will host a free professional development workshop for educators and administrators on Thursday, February 27, 2025, at the Renaissance Theatre. This engaging and interactive session, The Literacy of Dance: Setting the Stage for Learning Through Creative Movement, will be led by teaching artist and curriculum specialist Jessica McHugh.

This workshop is designed for primary, intermediate, and middle grades educators (K-8) and will explore how creative movement routines can help students navigate daily transitions with greater ease. Through movement-based strategies, teachers will learn to support classroom mindfulness, stress management, peer relationships, and self-awareness. These creative routines not only encourage an engaging and structured learning environment but also foster confidence and social-emotional growth in students.

The workshop will take place from 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the Renaissance Theatre. Registration is free and open to all area teachers and school administrators, with dinner included for those attending. Participants will gain contact hours toward Continuing Education Credits (CEUs). For more information or to register, visit rentickets.org.

About Jessica McHugh

Jessica McHugh holds a master’s degree in Elementary Education and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Theater Arts from Rutgers University. She has been integrating arts-based learning in Pre-K through 12th-grade classrooms since 2006 and has led professional development workshops for educators since 2013. A recipient of the Leadership in Arts Education Award from The Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, Jessica is the Arts Integration Specialist for Any Given Child Sarasota and a consultant for arts education programs nationwide. She is passionate about movement as a universal language that enhances learning and fosters student expression.

About the Mansfield Partners in Education Team

The Partners in Education program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts supports professional learning in the arts for educators. The Mansfield team, inducted in 2010, is one of fewer than 100 partnership sites nationwide and includes the Renaissance Performing Arts Association, the Mansfield Art Center, and Mansfield City Schools.

Sponsors

This workshop is made possible through the generous support of Cleveland Financial Group—Charles P. Hahn, CFP, and the Ohio Arts Council.

The Renaissance Theatre is located at 138 Park Avenue West, Mansfield, Ohio. For additional information on events and programs, visit rentickets.org. For questions related to the Kennedy Center Professional Development Workshops, contact Renaissance Education Director Dauphne Maloney at dauphne@mansfieldtickets.com.

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