Jennifer Onuigbo and Travis Gratteau-Zinnel will be at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Tuesday to share details about a successful arts integration project.
Onuigbo, community relations manager at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, and Gratteau-Zinnel, Waterloo Community School District instructional coach for fine arts, will be spotlighted during the Kennedy Center Partners in Education annual conference. The event brings together organizations enrolled in the PIE program to discuss their work in strengthening learning through the arts.
The pair has worked closely to develop and implement a model for teaching artistry training and arts integration in Waterloo Schools. Onuigbo describes it as a “hybrid” that places highly trained locally and nationally based teaching artists in the schools, allowing students to learn from artists both within and outside the community.
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The community-based framework can be replicated by other organizations, she said. At the conference, “we look to inform and be informed, sharing what we’ve learned and crowd-sourcing ideas from other experts.”
This focus on community-based representation was noted by the Kennedy Center, which reimbursed the local partnership for its work in developing local teaching artists, and has helped put the Cedar Valley on the map as a leader in this work.
“Arts integration is something every educator can use in the classroom to more deeply engage students in learning,” Onuigbo explained. “With the University of Northern Iowa’s rich history of educating future teachers and championing the performing arts, I am proud to represent the Gallagher Bluedorn and UNI in this partnership.”
Gratteau-Zinnel agrees, noting that “arts integration efforts place an emphasis on community by and through the arts in various educational settings.”
This is the 20th anniversary year of collaboration between GBPAC and Waterloo Community Schools. Gratteau-Zinnel and Onuigbo have worked on this particular project for about one year.
VIDEOS: Winter Walks
Short videos from winter walks in local parks.
Winter Walk video of the swinging bridge at Mayor's Park. January 2023
Winter Walk video Hartman Reserve on Hackett Road, Waterloo, Iowa. January 2023
Winter Walk video Krieg’s Crossing and George Wyth State Park, Cedar Falls, Iowa. January 2023
Winter Walk video Lincoln Park, Waterloo, Iowa. January 2023
Arts integration projects are exciting and fun for students and the residencies are intertwined with school curriculum, providing supplemental educational opportunities, Gratteau-Zinnel said.
“Having highly skilled teaching artists in the classroom engages and motivates students” and, in partnership with UNI, “is a way to grow teacher efficacy. Arts integration efforts place an emphasis on community by and through the arts in various educational settings.”
In addition, an arts integration workshop is scheduled March 25 at Central Rivers Area Education Agency for educators, preservice teachers, and teaching artists. Quynn Johnson, an internationally recognized dancer, teaching artist and author, will be the keynote speaker for a morning of demonstrations, discussions, and networking.
Following Johnson’s AEA professional development, the residency will include four days of tap dancing and writing integration in third grade at Becker Elementary School.
In April, Lou Henry Elementary will host Qiana Cutts from Mississippi State University. She is a playwright and will be working with third-graders on writing fractured fairy tales.
Another residency is planned in May, but the artist and school has not yet been announced.
For more information about the program or to register for the AEA workshop, visit gbpac.com/engage-explore/arts-integration-workshop-cedar-valley.
How to take a break from social media
Two and a half hours.
Two and a half hours — that's the average amount of time people spend on social media each day.
It may not sound like a lot, but that time can really add up — and at what cost? Social media has proven negative effects on mental health (especially for teens), self-image and for some is a huge time-waster.
University of Penn's Anish Agarwal, an emergency physician, researcher, and deputy director for the Center for Digital Health, said it's important to constantly be reevaluating the role social media plays in daily life.
The bottom line: taking a break from social media is healthy for you. Read on for guidance and tools to help you limit screen time on these apps.
Helpful exercise to remind you what you're missing by scrolling
Scrolling through social media while hanging out with friends isn't uncommon nowadays, but when you think about how unengaged you are in those moments, it can put social media use into perspective.
Agarwal suggests the next time you're in a room with others at a family or friends gathering and you see yourself scrolling through social media instead of engaging with others, take a minute to physically remove yourself from the room and isolate in another room. Listen and feel how much you may be missing out on.
"What that does is it gives your brain a signal. If you force yourself to leave the room, you realize how much you're using that app and missing out on other people," Agarwal said. "It's a good physical reminder of being present in the moment and not on your on your phone and scrolling through social media."
Reevaluate what you want out of social media
What is the reason that brought you onto social media? This is the question Agarwal said to ask yourself when trying to figure out if it's time to take a social media break. If you're not getting the same satisfaction from the reason you use social media, it may be time to look for alternatives.
If you joined social media to...
1. Find community: Look for clubs and groups in your neighborhood where you can meet and interact with others IRL (in real life).
2. Be inspired: Consume other forms of media like magazines, books, podcasts, movies or live events.
3. Buy and sell things: Try using other apps, like OfferUp or NextDoor, or visiting local events and marketplaces in person.
Physically distance yourself from your phone and apps
When you're at home and have free time, put your phone in a drawer or somewhere you can't see it. Oftentimes limiting the ability to quickly and easily pick up your phone is enough to keep you off of social media, said Agarwal. If your phone is what keeps your hands from fidgeting, try to have some objects around the house that relieve stress, like a stress ball, fidget toy or yarn and crochet hooks.
Hide your social media apps on your phone by placing the app on the second or third page of your home screen or bury the app inside an "app folder" with a bunch of others. When you're waiting in line or have a free five minutes, instead of grabbing your phone — take in the view, practice some breathing exercises or read a book.
Benefits of taking a social media break
Ever hear of "text neck?" It's the result of looking down at our phones when scrolling or texting, straining the neck muscles over a long period of time. Taking a break from social media helps relieve neck pain and gives your eyes a break from bright screens.
People may also be more connected than ever through social media, but a 2018 University of Pennsylvania study found that people who limit their time on social media experience less depression and feelings of loneliness.
Taking a break from social media will give you better sleep, too. Research suggests that nighttime use of social media is driven by FOMO (fear of missing out), and keeps people scrolling longer at night instead of going to sleep.
Be easy on yourself and ask for help about social media use
"If you're reading this article, kudos to you for thinking about reevaluating social media," Agarwal said Trying to meet your goals is all about celebrating the small wins.
At the least, set small benchmarks for yourself like spending 10 minutes less on social media than the day before. The right amount of social media time is different for everyone since some people actually use these apps to brand and help market themselves. Find your own social media sweet spot, and remember, even if you scroll too much on social media one day, you can try and meet your goal tomorrow.
Another way to keep you on track is to share your goal with someone you trust. A friend or loved one who can kindly nudge you when they notice you've been on social media for awhile.
Use your phone's screen-time tracking feature and limit social media use
Most smart phones nowadays track your screen-time and usage already. It's a good idea to figure out your average screen time per day so you have a benchmark that you can work on.
On iPhone, you can go into your "Screen Time" settings, which displays the amount of time you spend on each app and allows you to put timers on specific apps to limit how long you're on them. Android phones have similar features in the "Digital Wellbeing" settings. Additionally, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok offer the same features within the app settings themselves.
