Touchstone Center for Crafts in Fayette County recently welcomed over 30 educators to the center’s first annual Educators’ Retreat. This special week of programming was designed to provide professional development to enhance an educator’s own creativity while offering rich content that can translate to the classroom. Educators were able to choose a workshop in blacksmithing, ceramics, glass, fine metals, or drawing/painting and immerse themselves in their art as they explore creative techniques before returning to their classrooms.
Through donations from the Community Foundation of Fayette County and Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, Touchstone was able to offer 15 full scholarships to K-12 educators throughout Fayette, Cambria, Somerset, and Bedford counties.
“We wanted to bring educators together to share their experiences, learn new skills, and have a rejuvenating week immersed in the beauty of our rural campus—all which benefit the communities they return to,” Executive Director Lindsay Gates said.
Act 48 Credits were available to PA educators who attended a workshop during this retreat, (sponsored by Pennsylvania Art Educators Association), which Touchstone hopes to offer again next year. The 2020 Educators’ Retreat will be held July 27 through 31. Scholarship applications will be available online at touchstonecrafts.org/scholarships on December 1st and accepted beginning January 1, 2020.
The deadline to apply for a scholarship is March 15th.
