Arts Education

Professional Development

As part of the KS/MO Kennedy Center Partners in Education program, the Midwest Trust Center offers professional development for teachers on the subject of arts integration.


a group of teachers participating in a professional development arts workshop - they are holding up paper designs


kansas missouri kennedy center partners in education logo

About the program

The Partners in Education Program is a national partnership with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. We lead professional development sessions throughout the year that show teachers how to blend performing arts into their classrooms in a variety of subjects. Our goal is for teachers to integrate arts as an engaging creative process that connects an art form and another subject area to meet evolving objectives in both disciplines.

After our professional development, teachers will be able to:

  • Expand their abilities to integrate the arts into the curriculum
  • Provide innovative teaching techniques and tools
  • Inspire the artist within themselves and their students

The Kennedy Center established its local professional development program in 1976 and has since expanded to national program teams. Teams are selected because of their demonstrated commitment to the improvement of education in and through the arts. The Kansas/Missouri Team is proud to be one of three cross-state partnerships in the United States.

KS MO Kennedy Center Partner logosThe Kansas/Missouri Team includes

  • the Midwest Trust Center at Johnson County Community College
  • the Shawnee Mission School District in Kansas
  • the Liberty Public School District in Missouri
  • Kansas City Young Audiences

KS/MO Kennedy Center Partners in Education Report Summary 2019-21