Meet Your 2025-2026 Arts Ed Leadership Academy Cohort!
Today we celebrate our 2025-2026 Arts Ed Leadership Academy cohort and open applications for the next cycle! Leadership Academy is a 10-month program for arts educators working in schools, cultural organizations, or as independent teaching artists. Together, the cohort engages in arts-based professional learning exploring culturally responsive practices, leadership, and action planning facilitated by Arts Ed Collaborative’s Executive Director, Yael Silk and other regional experts.
Our current cohort is comprised of arts specialists teaching in classrooms and educators working in community spaces, across various subject areas including music, ceramics, fashion design, and more. Now let’s meet our cohort!
Brittany Gilpin is an arts and graphic design teacher at Duquesne Elementary School. Ellen Davis teaches music at College Square Elementary School | Cyd Johnson works in various roles at City of Bridges High School, mainly teaching fashion design | Kelly Merikas teaches graphic design at Pittsburgh Westinghouse Academy 6-12 | Gail Ungar is an art teacher at South Allegheny Elementary School | Cassandra Beattie works with Union Project as a Ceramics Studio Technician and Teaching Artist | Our very own Natalie Callahan serves as Arts Ed Collaborative’s Department Assistant, making sure we are on point | Amy Roadman recently took on the new role of Public Outreach and Programming Coordinator at the Verostko Center for the Arts at Saint Vincent College.
A major goal of Leadership Academy is the creation of an action plan. Throughout the year, participants apply the new tools in their toolbox to cultivate plans that include culturally responsive practices and newfound leadership skills. Here’s just a few highlights of some of these developing action plans! Cyd is working to create and implement a curriculum for a hands-on tailoring course that centers trans student needs. Ellen is creating professional development opportunities for teachers to collaborate and work towards creating a fine arts department/committee while sharing the benefits of the arts to non-arts educators. And Natalie is developing new supports for schools and arts partners who join artlook® SWPA. We are so proud of this incredible cohort and can’t wait to see all that they accomplish!
We are also beginning to plan for our 2026-2027 cohort! If you’re looking to build a professional support system through connections made with participants and facilitators, create welcoming and powerful learning spaces that celebrate diverse identities and cultures, and advance professionally by applying new leadership and planning skills, Leadership Academy is for you! Summer Intensive dates are already set for July 13-17, 2026. We will finalize monthly follow-on sessions for the 2026-2027 school year (alternating between Zoom and in-person) this winter.
Applications for the next cohort are open now and we are accepting them on a rolling basis! Click here to apply today!
