Cohort Models: The Power of Learning Together
Tuesday, October 14, 11:10am – 12:40pm
Organized by Sharon Rodning Bash, Program Director, Arts Midwest.
Moderated by Vickie Benson, Arts Program Director, The McKnight Foundation. Presented by Kate Barr, Executive Director, Nonprofit Assistance Fund; Randy Reyes, Artistic Director, Mu Performing Arts; and Sharon Rodning Bash, Program Director, Arts Midwest.
Since 1999 the Minnesota-based ArtsLab program has been offering in-depth cohort learning experiences for arts organizations, both urban and rural. The program embraces a highly participatory learning model in multi-session, peer learning communities. The ArtsLab journey over a decade has been a developmental exploration of collaboration at all levels – funder, program, and participant/learners. ArtsLab has recently crafted a summary of both key learnings from the 39 organizations that have participated in our peer learning communities since 1999 and lessons learned for funders. We will explore, through the experience of the ArtsLab program, the challenges and rewards of cohort learning models. We will share both theory and our experience in developing learning cohorts, developing a funder collaborative, and inviting peer-to-peer learning - as reported by the artists and administrators of the arts organizations that have been involved in the program.