Superhero Stories: Building Connections through Arty & Story

This professional development session is designed for general educators looking for engaging, creative ways to connect with students, support literacy, and encourage self-expression—no prior art experience needed!

Using superheroes as a framework, teachers will explore how to help students express their identities, strengths, and values through storytelling, character development, and hands-on puppet creation. The 1.5 hour session introduces inquiry-based learning, which prioritizes creativity and personal meaning, and provides simple strategies for engaging students and integrating art with literacy and social-emotional learning objectives. Educators will experience a hands-on activity that mirrors what students will do, learn how to guide discussions that help students connect personal experiences with creative expression, and explore cross-curricular connections between this project and literacy, writing, and social studies.

Objectives:

Gain confidence in facilitating creative projects, even without an art background. By the end of this session, educators will:

• Use creativity to connect with students by exploring personal…