Join us for the
KS/MO Partners in Education
2025 Arts Integration Symposium
July 15 - 16, 2025
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
at Liberty north high school
Join us for a two-day symposium to explore the power of the arts in engaging students, strengthening comprehension,
and bringing content areas to life.
MEET THE PRESENTERS:
Kuniko Yamamoto
Kuniko, a native of Japan and an award-winning theatre performer and artist, embarked on her journey to the United States in 1985 to study theatre. For the past two decades, she has captivated audiences with her solo shows, “Japanese Storytelling with Magical Mask, Mime, and Music” and “Origami Tales,” performing at prestigious venues such as Disney Epcot Center, The Kennedy Center, and the National Storytelling Festival. Her enchanting presentations foster cross-cultural communication and understanding in an entertaining and engaging manner.
As a dedicated teaching artist, Kuniko has inspired and educated students in over 2,000 schools and colleges with her unique Origami & Math workshops.
Shapes That Fold! Hands-on Geometry with Origami For Teachers Grades PreK - 2
Explore the art of origami as a hands-on approach to teaching geometry. Award-winning origami artist and Japanese storyteller Kuniko Yamamoto will lead engaging activities that bring geometric concepts—shapes, lines, angles, and symmetry—to life. Each fold transforms abstract math into a tangible, creative experience, making geometry both accessible and enjoyable for young learners.
Folding Fractions: Origami and Math For Teachers Grades 3 and up
Discover how origami transforms geometry and fractions into hands-on learning. Award-winning origami artist and storyteller Kuniko Yamamoto will guide you through folding techniques that help students visualize shapes, angles, and geometric relationships. Used by mathematicians and engineers for problem-solving, origami makes math vocabulary intuitive and fractions tangible. Kuniko also weaves Japanese culture and math games into every workshop, creating an engaging and meaningful experience.
Kassie Misiewicz
Kassie is a professional Theatre for Youth director, actor and John F. Kennedy Center National Teaching Artist. She received her Masters of Fine Arts degree in Theatre for Young Audiences from the Arizona State University and her BA in Theatre from the University of Notre Dame.
Kassie is the Founder and former Artistic Director of Trike Theatre: Northwest Arkansas’ professional theatre for youth and families. For the past 20 years, she has been implementing arts integration residencies with PreK-8th grade students, coaching teachers, training teaching artists and building cooperative, creative, kinesthetic classrooms wherever she goes.
Kassie lives in Bentonville, Arkansas and loves to travel with her family and have spontaneous dance parties in the kitchen.
ACTING RIGHT: Building a Cooperative, Collaborative, Creative Classroom Community Through Drama
This arts integration workshop takes the foundational elements of acting such as concentration, cooperation, and collaboration and creates a structured process, which can become the basis for effective classroom management every day. This engaging, step-by-step approach empowers students to take ownership of and be responsible for their own behavior. Learn how to help students build the skills necessary to establish a sense of self-control, accountability, and teambuilding in your classroom.
DIRECTING DEEPER LEARNING: Turning Tableaus into Performance Two seassions: Grades K-2 and Grades 3-8
Discover how turning students’ tableau work into performance can deepen learning, boost engagement, and provide meaningful assessment. In this hands-on workshop, educators will explore how directing elements—staging, blocking, and visuals—can amplify students’ understanding and creativity through performance. Using Memorization Text Cards as a springboard, participants will guide students from frozen images to dynamic storytelling.
For Teachers Grades K-2: Participants will explore Cinderella stories from around the world and culminate by staging an original version—bringing curriculum to life through the power of drama.
For Teachers Grades 3-8: Participants will explore storytelling with science and/or social studies content, bringing the curriculum to life through the power of drama.
Kara Hettinger
Kara Hettinger is the Director of Arts Education at the Midwest Trust Center at Johnson County Community College. At the MTC she programs and manages the school and family programming as well as community outreach offerings. Kara worked professionally as an actor, stage manager, director and teaching artist for more than 20 years before coming to JCCC and still remains active and connected to the Kansas City arts community. Previously, Kara was the Director of Arts Education for the Kansas City Chapter of Young Audiences as well as the Education Director for the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival. Kara was also an Adjunct Professor of Theatre at Benedictine College for 2 years. Early in her career Kara was also the co-founder, producer and director for her own theatre company, for which she directed several new works. Kara earned a B.A. in Theatre from Loyola University of Chicago and an M.A. in Theatre at the University of Missouri Kansas City. Kara also serves on the leadership team for the Plains Presenters, a network of presenting venues located in the Midwest.
Creative Drama in the Early Childhood Classroom: Learning Through Play For Teachers Grades PreK - 2
Unlock the transformative power of creative drama in your early childhood classroom! This course invites educators to explore imaginative, play-based techniques that nurture young learners’ emotional, social, cognitive, and language development. Through dynamic, hands-on examples, participants will learn how to use theatre techniques to bring read-alouds to life, support smoother classroom transitions, and build foundational literacy skills while boosting focus and confidence. Educators will leave equipped with a rich toolkit of creative drama techniques to inspire, engage, and empower their young learners — all while making learning joyful and memorable.
From Stage to Story: Using Theatre Games to Ignite Creative Writing For Teachers Grades 3 and up
Discover the full creative potential of your students by bringing the spirit of play into the writing process! In this energizing course, teachers will discover how simple, low-pressure theatre games can spark imagination, generate original ideas, and create a safe, joyful environment for creative writing. Participants will learn to use improvisations as idea generators, building trust and community in the classroom while encouraging students to take creative risks. Create a sense of belonging and joy that fuels student engagement and a love of storytelling. Teachers will leave this course with practical strategies for developing confident writers who trust their voices and feel empowered to share their ideas.
Jason Nious
Jason is a performing artist and creative director whose background with high school step teams and NCAA gymnastics launched his life-long love for the arts. Jason has traveled and performed extensively with Cirque du Soleil, Step Afrika, Stomp, and the International Body Music Festival. He’s created award-winning choreography and worked as a cultural ambassador with the U.S. Embassy in Africa, South America, and Central America. He worked as assistant choreographer, dancer, and stunt double for the film Stomp The Yard: Homecoming, and has performed in dozens of regional theatre productions and films throughout his career. Highlights include performing at Radio City Music Hall, The Kennedy Center, Kremlin Palace, and the Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan.
As the founder and director of Molodi, an award-winning body percussion ensemble based in Las Vegas, NV, Jason designs new touring productions and facilitates Molodi’s arts education program, reaching over 20,000 students per year. He is an Artist-In-Residence with the International Museum of Dance, a board member of the LAB LV Theatre Company, and he serves as an arts integration consultant with Focus 5, Inc. Jason received his BA in Theatre from the University of New Mexico.
The Rhythm of Belonging: Confidence and Teamwork through Stepping For Teachers Grades K - 2 and 3-8
More than ever, creating a cooperative classroom community where students feel they belong and that their voice matters is crucial. The art of stepping creates the perfect context for this to happen. Stepping is a percussive, highly-energetic art form where the body becomes an instrument to produce complex rhythms. In this session participants work with Jason Nious, performer with Cirque du Soleil, Stomp, Molodi, and the International Body Music Festival. Experience for yourself how seamless the elements of teamwork such as nonverbal communication, leading/following, and creative problem-solving are integrated and embedded in the creative process of stepping. Get ready to stomp, clap, and get on beat as you see how to create a dynamic and cooperative step team in your classrooms.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION:
Symposium Fee: $150
Registration Opens: April 15, 2025
Registration Closes: July 9, 2025 (or when spaces fill)
Call Carmen Eppright at 816.499.8059 with any questions.
Payment due at time of registration.
Enjoy this recap from the 2024 Symposium!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Kara Armstrong, Midwest Trust Center Arts Education Program Director
Johnson County Community College karmstro@jccc.edu
Megan Ellis, Coordinator of Visual Arts Curriculum and Instruction
Shawnee Mission School District, MeganEllis@smsd.org
Aaron Money, Director of Fine Arts
Liberty Public Schools, aaron.money@lps53.org
Carmen Eppright, Director of Arts Education
Kansas City Young Audiences, ceppright@kcya.org
SPONSORED BY:
Kansas Alliance for the Arts in Education
Hall Family Foundation
Liberty School District
Missouri Alliance for Arts Education
