Blog

Among the many topics covered by arts-integration educators at Arts Academy in the Woods are the 7 elements of art. While many students in the visual arts already use these elements naturally without realizing it, learning them in depth adds extra texture, dimension, and interest to their artwork. Plus, having this deeper understanding allows them...

Wouldn’t it be great if there were a middle school/high school that was teaching academics through art? If you’re a highly creative middle school or high school student, or you have a child who is, you may have pondered this question. The good news is, if you’re looking for a top-notch public arts-integrated middle/high school...

Educators at Arts Academy in the Woods in Fraser are frequently asked about what side of the brain is creative. This is because there’s a long-held belief that the right brain dictates creativity while the left brain is in charge of logic. But just because a notion or belief is long-held, it doesn’t necessarily make...

At Arts Academy in the Woods, we can say from first-hand experience that there are psychological benefits of creative writing. Especially when it comes to teenagers and young adults. There are numerous cognitive advantages to creating writing. So while in a previous post we addressed the many reasons creative writing is good for our students...

Does the notion of a math-music connection seem ridiculous? If so, you might be surprised to hear that Science American explains, “learning to play a musical instrument relies on understanding concepts, such as fractions and ratios, that are important for mathematical achievement.” And yet, many view music and other arts as antithetical to academics. This has...

Did you know that learning science through art makes it interesting for those who may not be normally engaged by it? Many creative-minded folks think they’re not good at science. The formulas and principles don’t click for them and they quickly grow bored with the material. But that’s not the only way to learn science....

According to recent research published in npj Science of Learning, there are plenty of reasons to encourage dance and performing arts for middle and high school kids. The research found that those who participated in at least two semester-length performing arts workshops got higher grades in math and language arts. They also achieved overall improvements in...

One of the main reasons we encourage belonging at Arts Academy in the Woods is that it makes for a less stressful and more productive learning environment. And who doesn’t want that from their school? To be clear, when we talk about belonging, we don’t mean simply fitting in. Fitting in often involves being something...

Many a creative person has posed the question, what is synesthesia? This most often occurs when they’ve been given the diagnosis of it. Depending on the kind of synesthesia they’re experiencing, they’ve likely spent their lives being able to hear a color, taste an emotion, or see a sound. And because they’ve normalized this, they...

Once upon a time, back when Hollywood and New York were the competing epicenters of all forms of acting, the idea of attending acting schools in Michigan seemed ludicrous. Yet, with the advent of the internet and platforms like YouTube, “acting high schools near me” pops up on more searches than ever before. And for...