NDEO's Connected Arts Network Dance Initiative

Overview & Synopsis

The National Art Education Association (NAEA) launched the Connected Arts Networks (CAN) initiative in September 2022. CAN is a collaborative effort among the NAEA, the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) and other esteemed partners, including the Educational Theater Association (EdTA), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and the New York City Department of Education's Arts Office. Funded by an $8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, CAN aims to establish virtual Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) nationwide. The objective is to create a sustainable model for professional learning among arts educators in public schools and public charter schools with a focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I) and social-emotional learning (SEL). Accordingly, CAN empowers dance, music, theater, visual, and media arts educators to enhance their pedagogy, instruction, and leadership skills over a five-year period.