This project explored my parents' stories in an effort to better understand why participating in music, exploring the outdoors, and empathizing with the human condition is integral to who I am. Using specifically selected questions, I interviewed each parent individually to hear their recollections of certain pursuits and passions in their lives. A digital recording device recorded these sessions. In addition to collecting stories from my parents, I tried to capture their energy through photographs, either in their current stage of life or at times discussed in the interviews. Life is truly reflected through the telling and retelling of stories. In the process of hearing their stories and perhaps sharing mine, I found connections and understandings. The three topics explored in this project were not clearly dominant in my family culture. Hearing the stories of my parents' formative years allowed me to better understand how they shaped and nurtured my interests in adulthood. In addition to gaining more insight into my personal growth in certain areas, I was able to understand the experiences that shaped the interests of others, specifically my parents.

I worked to overcome two major problems for my final creative project. The first problem was the lack of meaningful, original art that my students have been creating and their inability to explain their work though an artist statement. The second problem was that I had stopped creating my own art and no longer saw myself as an artist. To resolve the first problem I took my students through a series of age appropriate exercises and lessons to help make personal connections through creative expression, and to promote creative growth. I found ways to put more of themselves in their art and take personal risks. I developed specific units and projects at each grade level that I teach to help foster this personal release though art, and get in touch with the creative process. To resolve the second problem I spent a lot of time in the studio myself, creating art that was meaningful and relevant to my life. I created a body of my own art that was ultimately publicly displayed. I broke down the issue of creativity into an approachable process through teaching; by teaching my students to understand how to put more personal thought into their art, and by teaching myself to rediscover myself as an artist. The following pages outline the process, challenges, and results of this journey for me and my students. My students and I learned to connect our feelings and what is relevant in our lives to our art, and we created meaningful, original work. We found that creating art is cathartic and a powerful way to make a statement and reflect. Through the work in my creative project I have found that my students have a lot to say through their art. Not only do they have a lot to say through art, but so do I.

(not required for professional paper)

During this project seventh grade students and I collaborated to accomplish the goal of building a relationship between the seventh and fifth grades so the younger students could feel safe and welcome at our school. I used a teaching approach based on the elements of adventure and the experiential cycle of learning to help seventh grade students develop leadership skills. Team building activities and a community adventure brought the seventh and fifth graders together. The leadership role of the seventh graders during these events served as the catalyst for building a positive caring relationship between the two grades.

My final creative project explores research about what makes a successful community theater and tracks development leading a theater troupe in my hometown of Great Falls, Montana. In my lifetime, three theaters began, thrived and perished in Great Falls. The Green Room, Center Stage and Summer Musicale started as little more than groups of friends who loved theater putting up a show. All three experienced success for several years. However, all three eventually crumbled. Before I built my own troupe, I needed to spend some time planning and learning how to avoid what my predecessors failed to do. I examined my involvement and experiences with these three companies. My reflection, discussions with other theater members, and investigation revealed that lack of experience, inadequate financial understanding and low standards of quality contributed to each of their demises. Following reflection on these companies, I gained insight into what makes a successful theater by interviewing community members who are familiar with theater organizations and the community of Great Falls. With their input and my own reflections I then researched what the experts had to say on the subject. These experts either started their own now prospering companies or they consult with theater companies on how to make an organization better. Equipped with the knowledge from all of these resources, I formulated my own plan to produce quality theater in Great Falls I established the beginnings of a theater organization to produce creative work.

The ACCEPT Project: Social Justice Art and Education Chairperson: Jillian Campana Co-Chairperson: Karen Kaufmann The ACCEPT Project is an entity that I created out of a need to use art, and specifically theatre, in a meaningful manner beyond entertainment. I found myself inspired by artists who were using their craft to induce social change, so I sought to do likewise. The ACCEPT Project stands for Acting/Art Creates, Challenges, and Enlarges Pro-Human Truths. The information that follows documents my journey to discover a means to the ends of art for social justice and the results which came from that action. As an educator, I have included ways to utilize this concept in a classroom setting, and I am continuing my work on the educational implementation of The ACCEPT Project.

My professional paper is designed as a teaching tool to help other instructors to be able to teach the basics of digital photography to their students. It includes a brief history of the development of photography, information about the digital camera, how to take better pictures, and how to begin working with photos using Photoshop. Instructions and lesson plans are designed to teach all levels of students learning abilities.

The making of Sea Blue Sea began in August, 2013 with the creation of the albums first song Blue Whale and was completed in March, 2014. The projects scope was broad, including a ten-track album about endangered marine wildlife. I researched endangered marine wildlife, including eleven endangered marine species were chosen as subjects for songs, I began the writing process. I wrote six songs with minimal outside assistance and collaborated with The Whizpops for the remainder of the ten tracks included on the album. We fundraised through a Kickstarter campaign. In order to do so, we created a short film which served as a tool to engage would-be supporters of the project. When we had raised the necessary funds, we recorded the songs and held a CD release party. The Whizpops and I experienced many expected and unforeseen challenges throughout this project, including financial obstacles, time constraints and philosophical differences. This paper illustrates ways in which we overcame those challenges to create music that we hope will inspire future generations of artists and conservationists!