National Recognition for One of Our Own!
Gateway to the Arts’ Western Pennsylvania Wolf Trap Teaching Artist Christina Farrell will soon join the national roster of The Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts as a Master Teaching Artist! Earlier this month, Gateway teaching artist Christina auditioned for inclusion on the national roster and by all accounts it went exceeding well.
Presenting her workshop Looking for Musical Clues at the Center for Education at Wolf Trap headquarters in Vienna, Virginia, Christina engaged a panel of experts in her workshop experience. The evaluators—three professional development staff with the Wolf Trap Institute along with two professionals from the Fairfax County Office for Children—joined in playing instruments, singing songs and dancing, before exchanging ideas and adding specific suggestions for highlighting the key elements of the workshop including how to adapt it for large groups. Currently in the final process of updating her workshop lesson plan, Christina Farrell will soon be officially added to the national roster!
Christina Farrell with students at Nicely Elementary.
“We’re so proud,” said Carol Wolfe, Program Manager, Professional Development and Early Learning and Regional Director of Gateway’s Western Pennsylvania Wolf Trap program, who nominated Christina for the audition. After joining Gateway’s early childhood roster in 2007, Christina was chosen to participate in the rigorous teaching artist training program provided by Gateway and the Wolf Trap Institute in 2008.
“Christina thrived in the early childhood classroom and her sparkling personality soon made her a favorite with teachers and children,” said Wolfe. “I encouraged her to develop music and drama in-service workshops for local early childhood practitioners and, based upon the quality of her work felt that she would be an excellent addition to the national roster. It is wonderful to see an artist of her caliber take advantage of what organizations like Gateway and Wolf Trap have to offer. She is really a star!”
Earlier this year, Christina was recognized with the Fred Rogers Memorial Scholarship Award, a $10,000 contribution to develop a children’s media project and the opportunity to work with mentors in the field. One of four students chosen, Christina was eligible for the award because she is currently pursuing a Masters of Arts from New York University in Education Theatre.
“With the scholarship funding, I hope to take advantage of widely-used technologies to encourage families to share in the same types of creative explorations I conduct in classrooms,” said Farrell “I am also extremely privileged to be connected with leading experts in children's media research, who share my passion for excellence in education and are interested in re-imagining the ways we can teach children to learn and develop as human beings.”
During her many years working with Gateway to the Arts, she has been integral in nearly all types of our programming. Already considered a master teaching artist in aesthetic education, Christina regularly leads sessions at our Gateway Arts in Education Institute, in addition to sessions for our local Wolf Trap summer institute, Integrating the Arts into the Early Childhood Curriculum. She works as a residency artist for the Gateway Arts in Education Partnership and also offers the classroom residency Voices and Stories which allows students to discover how music can illustrate setting, mood and character in a story and perhaps create an original opera themselves. As if that weren’t enough, Christina Farrell is the founding director of Opera Ignite, an educational non-profit dedicated to helping individuals of all ages find inspiration through engagement in music, drama and movement. Opera Ignite offers both early childhood and K-5 performance programs through Gateway to the Arts. In 2007 she received the Hardie Artist of the Year Award from Gateway to the Arts. Christina received her BFA in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University.
Indeed, Christina’s talent is only surpassed by her enthusiasm for the work.
“As each year passes, I find that I am becoming more and more passionate about the crucial role that creativity plays in our schools and our world,” said Farrell. “I see these recognitions as an invaluable opportunity to spark the same enthusiasm in others and I am tremendously honored to have been recognized as a voice for this important message.”
The Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts’ roster of national teaching artists provide professional development workshops for early childhood educators around the country and abroad. The purpose of this program is to provide early childhood professionals with developmentally-appropriate performing arts-based teaching strategies that help young children master basic skills. With only 16 regional affiliate programs in the US, and eight of those providing national teaching artists, Gateway to the Arts is excited to be represented on this roster.
For more information, click here or contact Carol Wolfe at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or at 412.362.6982, ext.13.