The MCA offers free programs and resources designed to help educators incorporate contemporary art and culture into their teaching and learning. Join us to:
- Infuse the spirit of inquiry and innovation inherent in contemporary art into your curriculum
- Form communities of practice with fellow educators and artists
- Be inspired and inspire your students to make meaning of the art and ideas of our time
Keep in touch
Visit the MCA often! The MCA offers free admission to Illinois elementary and high school teachers. Simply present a valid teacher ID at the admissions desk. Can’t carry your ID with you? E-mail us to request a teacher pass.
To keep current with exciting opportunities for educators at the MCA, all you need to do is sign up!
Learn about our educator programs
Read on to learn about our wide range of professional development opportunities for educators. MCA teacher programs are free for Illinois teachers. Participants receive CPDUs. Vouchers for free parking in the MCA garage are provided pending availability.
Click here for a schedule of upcoming programs.
Educator Previews
Want to know what the MCA has to offer educators? Want to be in the know about emerging artists who are shaping cultural discourse today? Attend our Educator Previews to learn about MCA’s school and teacher programs, tour new exhibitions with the help of MCA teaching artists, and explore exciting ways to introduce contemporary art to your students. Upcoming Educator Previews.
Teacher workshops
Dig into exhibitions at the MCA to find exciting possibilities for your teaching through an artist-led workshop. Investigate works of art, make art, and develop innovative strategies to bring contemporary art to your classroom. Upcoming Workshops.
Educator salons
What’s happening in art, teaching, and learning right now? Join the conversation at MCA Educator Salons. Salons tackle timely pedagogical issues, provide access to provocative speakers, and promote an open exchange among peers and colleagues. Upcoming Educator Salons.
Teacher institute
Looking for a deep and sustained professional development experience? In our year-long Teacher Institute, teachers and artists engage in rich dialogue and inquiry about contemporary art and contemporary teaching and learning, create innovative, contemporary curriculum, and build a dynamic and collaborative community of creative practitioners. Click here for more information.
Art education symposium
Offered biannually, the symposium brings together educators with leaders from the fields of education and contemporary art for lively and critical discourse about the role of contemporary art in education. Stay tuned for the 2014 Symposium!
Bring your students to the MCA
Learn more about our artist-led tours for students in grades 1–12 in our Schools section.
Tap into resources for your teaching
Take advantage of all that the MCA has to offer. In addition to our programs, we invite you to find inspiration in the MCA’s rich and wide-ranging collection of art, our access to the voices and ideas of living artists, and more.
Funding
Support for teacher programs at the MCA is generously provided by the Polk Bros. Foundation. Additional support is provided by The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation and Discover.
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