Program Background
The idea for Maestra!Maestro! originated in 1999 over coffee. That meeting included Herberger College and City of Phoenix staff as well as Teaching Artists / Partner Educators. The question asked was, “What does the Community need from the College of Fine Arts?” A few of the answers were, “More community Teaching Artists. More interaction. Accessibility. Approachability…” The seed planted on that day grew into a collaboration involving the ASU Herberger College of Fine Arts, Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture, and numerous schools, arts organizations and Teaching Artists / Partner Educators.

Program Purpose
The Greater Phoenix area is home to a number of outstanding community Teaching Artists / Partner Educators. These professionals are often committed to working with underserved populations and have cultivated teaching methods that uniquely serve these communities. Arts and learning programs are in great demand and additional Teaching Artists are needed throughout Arizona. Many community Teaching Artists / Partner Educators voice an interest in working with young artists but need administrative support to sustain such programs. Maestra!Maestro! responds to this need in a manner that contributes an increasing number of trained teaching artists to the Phoenix community year after year.

Program Objectives
Maestra!Maestro! provides the opportunity for a limited number of ASU student and alumni artists to work with community Teaching Artists / Partner Educators for one semester or longer in selected Phoenix area sites. The program aims to:

	Provide quality arts experiences to more youth in the Phoenix area.
	Train a new generation of community artists, specifically ASU Herberger College of Fine Arts students and alumni.
	Support outstanding Teaching Artists / Partner Educators by providing a means to share their knowledge with other artists, to expand their work physically and philosophically, and to refine their teaching skills to a higher level of excellence.
	Provide a model and resources for other Teaching Artist internship programs nationwide.

Interns learn various aspects of an artist’s work in the community, including:

	Developing relationships with individuals, organizations, and communities.
	Building a repertory of interdisciplinary and multicultural teaching approaches.
	Marketing and business details of the work.
	Creating and maintaining a teaching portfolio.