The Power of Art is a national competition that celebrates excellence in art education and recognizes innovative teaching methods. The competition is generously supported by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. Thirty two art teachers who work with students with learning disabilities and ADHD are chosen annually from a large pool of applicants. Winners participate in a one-day workshop that demonstrates ways in which art can be used to teach academic skills to students with learning disabilities and ADHD.

The Power of Art full day workshop provides selected art teachers with a better understanding of learning disabilities and ADHD, original ways to teach, and how to infuse the arts into an existing curriculum. The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation generously provides hotel accommodations and limited travel funds for participants. In 1985 noted artist, Robert Rauschenberg, was honored at The Lab School of Washington’s first Outstanding Learning Disabled Achievement Awards Gala. Because he was not diagnosed until adulthood with dyslexia, his wish was to illustrate the importance and value of art education in the classroom, especially for those students with learning disabilities and ADHD. The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation coupled with The Lab School of Washington provides a once-in-a lifetime nationwide opportunity for art teachers who work with students with learning disabilities and ADHD.

This year the program will include:

Thursday, April 25
Evening reception for the selected Art teachers and for the first time eight Administrators who will accompany
their art teachers

Friday, April 26
Full day at The Lab School of Washington interacting with our art staff and teaching staff and networking with the
selected art teachers. Selected Art teachers and their administrators will be involved in these activities.
Dinner at a local restaurant for the selected Art teachers and administrators.

Saturday, April 27
Full day of tours and workshops for the selected Art teachers and administrators
Dinner at a local restaurant with a featured speaker and group discussion

Sunday, April 28
Brunch followed by a culminating workshop.

Excerpts from the insightful words of appreciation from the selected Power of Art teachers most effectively express the far reaching rewards of the Power of Art:

• I want to thank the staff of the Lab School and Rauschenberg Foundation for giving me the weekend of my life. Your Power of Art week end showed me that there is indeed hope out there somewhere and support and understanding for what we as artists and art teachers are doing and that there is help and support to lift us up and carry on with our day to day life mission.

• To everyone at the Lab School and the Rauschenberg foundation:

Thank you for the honor of feeling I make a difference with my students

And most of all the opportunity to learn more about working with a student wit special needs or as I see it a talent that needs to be nurtured

…thank you for my new toys- what a wonderful selection of art supplies and the gift card. Thank you…

• … I want to thank everyone responsible for possibly one of the greatest times I have had as a teacher. I have never been so appreciated as I was on my trip to DC. Wow. I have almost finished The Third Space and look forward to reading The Power of Arts. I think about the Lab School and its philosophy and it makes sense to me in a big way. How wonderful it would be to teach at such a wonderful school…

• Thanks to your school and the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation I was able to take time and learn, get inspired as well as develop a new found appreciation for the students who need me most.

• I cannot thank you enough for this wonderful validation of what we do as visual arts educators… The entire Rauschenbegr experience was elegantly planned We are still at the bottom rung of the ladder, which is such a strange irony since we teach the children, or young adults, how to make decisions for themselves based upon what is right and honest.. and what is creative and intelligent! But the fight goes on! I had a wonderful experience at the Lab School and felt privileged to attend the reception at the Corcoran. There is magic in what the arts teach children!...