THE SWEET TREE FELLOWSHIP is an opportunity to expand and build knowledge in arts education. Participants engage in the collaborative teaching and learning processes of Sweetland School. Critical components include creative thinking, arts integration, documentation process, community involvement, and student-centered learning and leading through hands-on experiences. Ongoing sharing of the arts and ideas will build creative confidence with and for young people so they can dream bigger and create their future. Not only are the selected fellows a part of a strong collective of like-minded artists and educators but they also receive personal coaching and mentorship from accomplished trailblazers in their respective art and education fields.

If you are an educator, teaching artist, and/or artist and believe that the arts can make a difference, here is an opportunity for you to be a leader in your community.

This Sweet Tree program is in partnership with Slam out Loud, based in Delhi, India. Fellows in both programs have opportunities to learn together. Learn more at https://slamoutloud.com.

"I love art with all my heart. I do believe that it is the best and simplest way to communicate."

As a teacher he feels strongly that learners can find it a useful tool to not only express themselves but to find learning fun too.

For Ben the Sweet Tree Fellowship is an opportunity to expand and build knowledge in arts education. He finds that it is the best venue to enrich his ability to help learners to develop thinking and expression informed by the arts.

"I love the idea of interaction and sharing ideas with the others teachers in the fellowship. It puts me in a better position to understand my learners as I get to discover difference approaches that the other teachers use in their classrooms. Receiving personal coaching and mentorship from accomplished trailblazers in my respective art and education fields is an idea I welcome warmly because I know learning is a long life process."

Ben has been teaching History and Government since 2016 at Tembea Academy in Kenya after graduating with a Diploma in Education from the East African University.

Atupele Machika is from Malawi, which is in the South-East of Africa. She has been living in the US since 2010. Atupele earned her diploma from Hebron Academy, graduated with a finance major and art minor from Elmira College, and recently graduated from Albertus Magnus with an MBA.

She always had a love and passion for Mathematics and Art. "People express how different math and art are, but I believe that there is an application of mathematics in art. I spend time explaining to people and showing art pieces from art history books on how the idea of geometric shape was applied. Moreover, I am happy that I get the opportunity to do and gain a better understanding of Mathematics and Art and how they can be useful to each other."

Atupele joined the Sweetland staff in September 2020 and views this as an incredible opportunity. She is helping children to learn the connection between Math and Art.

"I am curious to learn about the application of arts in learning experiences with an aim of boosting critical thinking. I view arts as an integral part of learning and as a key vessel for a learner-centered learning."

Magaga was led to the fellowship through his interactions with Lindsay Pinchbeck when participating in a community of learners through HundrED. He was inspired by her teaching methodology and her approach to transformative learning. This challenged him to re-imagine teaching and learners' needs.

Magaga is a teacher at Tembea Academy in Kenya. He serves as the communication and outreach coordinator at BEADS for Education, a USA based organization committed to supporting the education of girls from vulnerable Maasai Communities.