Springboard to Learning is a transformative St. Louis–based educational organization that’s making a significant impact in classrooms by bringing professional teaching artists into local schools.
Affiliated with the national Young Audiences Arts for Learning network and the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, Springboard offers arts-integrated educational programming for schools across the St. Louis community. Its more than 150 programs are led by experienced teaching artists, who bring their expertise and craft into classrooms to integrate into the curriculum. By collaborating with local schools, Springboard is able to enhance traditional learning through arts-based approaches that resonate with students and, in turn, help make their education more meaningful and memorable.
Next year, Springboard will celebrate its 60th year as an organization. It now serves an average of more than 30,000 students and teachers over more than 100,000 contact hours per year.
How arts-based learning enhances student engagement and academic success
Dr. Kelly Kozlen, principal of Armstrong Elementary in Hazelwood, has seen firsthand how her students have benefitted from Springboard’s innovative programming. “When I became an administrator, I visited a third-grade classroom with live animals—snakes, frogs, cockroaches, lizards, baby chicks—and the kids loved it!” she says. “They were able to experience animals up close and personal, which is something they would never be able to do without Springboard.”
Springboard has been a staple in the school for many years and provides year-round programming, from teaching kindergarteners about rhythm through drumming to helping students develop essential math skills through its Art of Baseball program, which includes free attendance to a Cardinals game.
“Springboard programs offer unique experiences that may not be available within our regular school curriculum,” Kozlen says. “These programs include hands-on learning led by experts who are passionate about their subjects, interactive platforms, and opportunities for critical-thinking and problem-solving. Our students gain access to dynamic learning experiences that foster academic and personal growth, extending beyond the traditional school day.”
Each partnership with a school is customized to meet the specific needs and objectives of the district. Programs range from short-term projects to yearlong residencies, providing students with experiences that can transform not just how they learn but also how they think about learning.
How teaching artists enrich classroom learning through creativity
Springboard’s unique model connects schools with its diverse network of teaching artists, who are integrated into the classroom to partner with teachers or lead workshops and residencies that align with academic goals. They often include professional visual artists, musicians, dancers, writers, and actors.
“These artists are all experts in their craft and all have a special interest in bringing their art form into the classroom,” says Lauren Wiser, Springboard’s director of communications and development specialist. “Their art form is incorporated into the curriculum, but it’s not just a one-off class teaching kids how to dance. Instead, the teaching artists will do things like work math skills or teach history through dance.”
Whether it’s using music to teach history, dance to explore physics, or visual arts to enhance literacy, the goal is to deepen students’ understanding and engagement through that creativity.
Sherry Norfolk has been a teaching artist with Springboard since 1996, after discovering a passion for using storytelling to teach curriculum. “Every session I lead is designed with the teachers to address their specific needs—core curriculum, social-emotional learning, engagement,” Norfolk says. “Arts integration transforms learning for students and teachers alike, providing new points of entry that allow each child to shine.”
Sherry’s husband, Bobby, is also a teaching artist but uses his affinity for history and acting to write and perform scripts based on the eras of U.S. history. Explaining how these kinds of methods work in the classroom setting, he says, “Everything we see, hear, taste, touch, and smell comes through story. The human brain, in essence, is hard-wired for story and the basis for human interaction with one another.”
For many students, particularly those from under-resourced communities, exposure to the arts can be a game-changer. Springboard’s commitment to these communities is clear, with 95 percent of the students and teachers served being considered under-resourced.
Springboard’s programs not only help students master academic subjects, but they also encourage critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration—skills that are vital in today’s world.
Additionally, Springboard serves as a great platform to connect successful and diverse artists with young learners at critical times in their lives. “Springboard programs provide exposure to all kinds of progressive disciplines and various cultural activities of the world,” says Kunama Mtendaji, a fellow teaching artist that has been with Springboard since the 1980s. “Student participants are getting to work with entrepreneurs and people who excel in their craft and have passion for their work.”
How to support Springboard to Learning’s arts education programs
Every year, Springboard hosts its annual Lip Sync Battle fundraiser, which first began in 2017, at the E. Desmond and Mary Ann Lee Theater on the campus of the University of Missouri–St. Louis. This past year’s event was held on October 5. The event typically includes performances from some of the Springboard staff, as well as dinner and drinks, silent auctions, raffles and more. During the Lip Sync Battle, contestants solicit votes at $10 each, with the contestant who raises the most money being named the winner.
This post was created by SLM Partner Studio on behalf of Springboard to Learning. To learn more, visit springboardstl.org
