9/10/2026
Education and Outreach
Teachers participating in engaging arts integration sessions using movement.
School is back in session, and that means it’s time once again for The Smith Center to resume its robust set of culturally enriching education programs.
Students will soon begin coming to our campus for another fantastic slate of free matinee performances that includes 123 Andrés, Paige Hernandez’s Paige in Full, Curious George: The Golden Meatball, The Remember Balloons, Tales of the Sun and Moon, The Comedy of Errors, Joseph Kekuku and the Voice of the Steel Guitar and The Musicians of Bremen Live.
But did you know The Smith Center also hosts a wide range of imaginative and informative teacher workshops, providing local educators with amazing opportunities to learn about creative, new ways to engage with students, directly from experts in their fields.
Here are the educator professional development workshops set for the 2026-2027 school year. Feel free to share them with any educators you know who might be interested in learning and incorporating arts-based teaching strategies into their classrooms.
Dr. Jennifer Montgomery: Nurturing Creativity Through Art
September 19, 2026, 9:30 a.m. Troesh Studio Theater, Pre-K
How can we design art experiences that truly honor young children’s creativity? Montgomery, a seasoned early childhood education and family studies educator who currently works as an early childhood education instructor at the College of Southern Nevada, leads an exploration through ways to plan and facilitate meaningful art experiences for children ages 2 to 5. We’ll look at how materials like paint, clay, collage, chalk and woodworking can support self-expression, concept development and emerging skills through open-ended creative exploration.
Jason Nious: Rhythm Rooms: Body Percussion Tools for Engagement, Belonging and Classroom Culture
September 29, 2026, 5 p.m., Troesh Studio Theater, K-12
More than ever, schools need cooperative learning environments in which students feel a sense of belonging and know that their voice matters. This workshop – led by Nious, a performing artist, director and founder of Molodi, a body percussion ensemble renowned for its innovative live performances and educational outreach – is a hands-on professional learning experience that equips educators with practical, rhythm-based strategies to strengthen engagement, focus and classroom community.
Derek and Lauren Lux: Using Puppetry to Teach Social Emotional Learning
September 30, 2026, 5 p.m., Reynolds Hall Upper Lobby, K-12
Lauren Lux, DLUX Puppets’ Education Director, will show teachers how to use puppetry to impart social emotional learning. Participants will build a simple puppet they can use in their classrooms to engage their students in social emotional learning. Basic puppet techniques will be taught by Derek Lux, founder of DLUX Puppets, a Las Vegas-based production company that tours performing art centers with original multimedia adaptations of well-known classics.
Andrés & Christina of 123 Andrés: Leading with Music and Movement
October 6, 2026, 5 p.m., Troesh Studio Theater, K-5
Join Andrés and Christina of Grammy-winning 123 Andrés for a demonstration on how they use music, infused with movement and storytelling, for learning. Singing together can support students practicing new vocabulary and sentence structures, and repetition builds confidence and helps internalize key content. Plus, movement channels students’ energy, and gives a boost of joy. Come see their array of strategies.
Paige Hernandez: Hip Hop Body Rock
October 13, 2026, 5 p.m. Reynolds Hall Upper Lobby, K-12
Learn about significant hip-hop choreographers, different styles of hip-hop dance and regional/cultural influences from Hernandez, a multidisciplinary artist who is critically acclaimed as a performer, director, choreographer and playwright. Then it‘s time to stretch and flex before you learn a new hip-hop routine.
Dr. Allison Fleetwood: Igniting Creative Teaching Through the Arts
December 1, 2026, 5 p.m., Troesh Studio Theater, Grades 5-12
Looking for fresh ideas to energize your classroom? In this highly interactive workshop led by Fleetwood, an award-winning educator, theatre director, speaker and educational consultant, participants will experience two arts-based strategies that can be immediately adapted for any content area. Together, we will create a collaborative poem that demonstrates how collective storytelling, reflection and creativity can build community while deepening student engagement.
Dr. Kevin Spencer: Teach Like a Magician
January 6, 2027, 5-7 p.m., Troesh Studio Theater, Grades 5-12
How can you bring a little “magic” into your classroom? No one is better equipped to answer that question than Spencer, an award-winning artist, educator and researcher. Participants will explore MAGICIAN as an acronym, with each letter representing a research-based practice vital for creating an environment conducive to learning. Practical applications are made throughout the presentation, and each strategy can be used immediately in the classroom.
To participate in any of The Smith Center’s teacher workshops, email our Education & Outreach team at [email protected].