The Albany Museum of Art will partner with Albany arts and cultural organizations from 5-7 pm on Tuesday, Sept 10, 2019 at Pretoria Fields Brewery to celebrate a special group—local educators.
 
This 2nd annual teacher appreciation night will be An Evening for Educators as the AMA teams up with the Albany Civil Rights Institute, the Albany Symphony Orchestra, Chehaw Park, Flint RiverQuarium and Thronateeska Heritage Center to show Albany area educators how much they are valued.
 
It’s also a chance to acquaint teachers with ways the groups can support their work in the classroom, particularly with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) educational programs.
 
“This is an opportunity for Albany’s arts and cultural groups to show educators what we can do to help them as they educate tomorrow’s leaders,” AMA Director of Education and Public Programming Director Annie Vanoteghem said. “It’s especially appropriate that this event is occurring during National Arts in Education Week.”
 
Arts organizations are important resources for schools’ STEAM curriculums. Officials with the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) have said that STEAM education is vital to the state’s future because it better prepares students to enter the 21st century workplace.
 
STEAM education allows students to prepare for careers through exposure to high-quality educational opportunities in the five fields. GaDOE describes STEAM education as “an integrated curriculum that is driven by exploratory project-based learning and student-centered development of ideas and solutions.”
 
“We always work to have strong STEAM components in our educational programming at the Albany Museum of Art,” Vanoteghem said. “It’s one of the ways we strive to build a stronger community through art.”
 
Evan Barber will provide musical entertainment and food trucks will be on hand as educators learn what Albany’s arts and cultural organizations have to offer in support of local classrooms. All teachers who attend will participate in a raffle from each institution, receive discounts on beverages, and have the opportunity to unwind and just have some fun and relaxation.
 
Admission is free for educators and their families with presentation of teacher ID.