Our Approach
The Expressive Arts Cooperative was founded by teachers, with the goal of providing sustainable arts programming that centers the needs and creative goals of the individual. Through our cumulative professional experience, we have noticed several hurdles to accessibility in this space.
Programs that rely on a strict curriculum present clients with a key issue: if the curriculum doesn’t fit their learning style, students can become discouraged, or quit altogether. Our services adapt to each individual’s goals and interests, offering a broad range of subjects and artistic disciplines to better support the autonomy of creative individuals with developmental disabilities.
Additionally, we have seen that when arts programming is not designed by educators, student feedback is not centered in the decision making process. By structuring The Expressive Arts Coop as a teacher-owned cooperative, we empower our teachers to make decisions democratically based on the feedback they receive from students. We believe that empowering our clients should guide the services we provide.
How It Works:
1. Intake Consultation
After contacting us, we'll schedule an initial consultation call to discuss the services we provide and which would be the best fit for you or your client. This call will be with one of our four founding cooperative members, meaning you'll get to speak with one of your potential teachers right away.
2. Service Selection
Next, we'll work together to create a class plan that centers the creative goals of you or your client and match you with the teachers who can best support those goals. As working artists, we understand that every creative's path looks different and may include more than one area of interest!
3. Individualized Support
Teachers work collaboratively to continually refine each student’s individualized program, addressing learning challenges while building on their strengths. At Expressive Arts Coop, programming is informed by student and family feedback.