A Year into Our Lunch & Learn Initiative
It’s been over a year since ARTS has launched one of our most popular team member initiatives: Lunch-and-Learns!
Community ARTS Teaching Artist, Christopher Lloyd Tucker teaches the ARTS Team how to use Blender in our Maker Workshop
Lunch-and-Learns are monthly, paid workshops designed for skill-building, where team members share their knowledge while enjoying a meal together. We created this initiative because we believe it is essential to make our team's skills more accessible, especially those that are often gatekept. Our goal with Lunch-and-Learns is to support and uplift the growth of all team members in support of their professional learning goals.
We believe that knowledge-sharing, whether through exploring an art form or learning a new practical skill, helps break down barriers in education and serves as a powerful way to expand our community of care. Our model emphasizes that developing our skills is just as important as being present in the community and engaging in the work. Additionally, sharing food with friends contributes to the restorative process!
One of the most special aspects of our Lunch-and-Learn workshops is that they focus on skills our team members can apply outside of ARTS. Over the past year, our team has learned a range of skills, including creating mosaics, grant writing, 3D modeling, and safety awareness. By promoting the development of both creative and professional skills, we aim to build engaged team members and foster leaders who are eager to make meaningful contributions to their wider communities.
“I really appreciate the way ARTS goes out of its way to create spaces for the team to grow professionally." Ulises Galicia, ARTS on Campus Teaching Artist commented after our last Lunch and Learn workshop. "I took a lot away from our latest Lunch-and-Learn where we learned what it takes to fund a personal/community art project and how to apply for artist grants. As an art instructor I am often learning how to better serve the youth I teach directly, but it was nice to have an art workshop that focused on my personal art endeavors.”
“As an art instructor I am often learning how to better serve the youth I teach directly, but it was nice to have an art workshop that focused on my personal art endeavors.”
In our workshops, you’ll witness our team acquiring new skills, and how a supportive environment encourages curiosity, comfort with failure, and growth. It’s a great reminder that even as educators, we are all learners!
Since the start of this initiative we’ve had over 90 team members and volunteers join our workshops, with many joining outside of their normal hours. Because of its popularity, we’re excited to continue our Lunch-and-Learn series and see what new skills our expanding team would like to share. Stay tuned for more updates on our Lunch-and-Learns and other People & Culture initiatives!
