Imagination Quest

In addition to its professional theatre and education programs, Imagination Stage offers an outreach program called Imagination Quest. An arts integration program (using the arts as a means to learn other subjects), Imagination Quest serves three populations: teachers, students, and parents.

The Director of Imagination Quest, Dr. Gail Humphries Mardirosian, explains

IMAGINATION QUEST is a teaching /learning model that speaks to a” quest” born of a conviction that all children have a right to a full and rich education and a belief that there exists a process of education that can empower teachers and encourage parents/caregivers to fulfill that right. The “quest” is a journey that compels teachers to do what they must to seek out potential in all children – to examine the essence of what they do; explore new and different vantage points in their classroom methodologies; and have the courage to attempt new pedagogies to enhance their effectiveness in reaching all children. The quest compels parents to consider multiple ways of sharing in learning experiences in the home.

Imagination Quest (IQ) is based on the premise that arts-based teaching can help to generate a fair system of education, accommodating different ways of learning and acknowledging and respecting different cultures and backgrounds. It incorporates voices that have been suppressed in the curriculum, in pursuit of educational equity striving to ensure access to knowledge for all students. It also attempts to manifest a democratic pedagogy that “supports freedom of expression, inclusion of multiple perspectives, opportunities to evaluate ideas and make choices, and opportunities to take on responsibility and contribute to the greater good…furthering democratic classrooms that encourage the broad participation of students, parents, teachers, and communities members.” (Hammond, 1996, p. 144) By fostering learning through the arts, IQ tries to engender a balance of the “often competing agendas of care and rigor” (Ibid, p. 193), without sacrificing either attribute. It also attempts to provide teachers and students with opportunities for ownership and invention. IQ's 3 initiatives...are TEACH TO REACH...for professional development, workshops and courses for teachers...LEARNING TO READ, READING TO LEARN...in-class residencies for students...and PARTNERS FOR LEARNING...workshops with parents/caregivers and students.

Over the past 12 years, IQ has reached over 1,888 teachers, 485 parents and caregivers, 3,532 students, and 80 school principals in the District of Columbia, California, Maryland, New Hampshire and Virginia. IQ has received grants from multiple agencies and foundations including the U.S. Department of Education, the Brimstone Fund, Freddie Mac Foundation, Gilbert and Jaylee Mead Family Foundation, Lockheed-Martin, Maryland State Arts Council, PEPCO, the University of New Hampshire, the Virginia Commission for the Arts and The Webber Family Foundation.

Imagination Quest has an impact according to students, parents and teachers:

STUDENTS

• IQ and drama puts more stuff in my brain
• The reading was different. You became the book.
• I worked really, really hard with IQ and I learned more than I ever thought I could.
• IQ is a great way to teach Shakespeare. I liked it now--it was interesting and I thought it would be boring."
• This is the way you should always teach kids.
• IQ is something that makes me feel good. You move, sing, and act out stories. I love that.
• It is something beautiful because you get to do art…you dress up in costumes and
• it teaches you new words, new songs, new dances.
• IQ lets you do things that you never did before.
• IQ teaches you how to read.
• IQ makes you feel good inside.
• IQ is performing and that is great.
• IQ is being in a play. I have never been in a play—I was shy, shocked, surprised
• and then really, really happy when we did our book on stage and I got applause.
• IQ is what the 2^nd graders wish they had. They really wanted to do this!
• IQ encourages us to read other books. I like reading now and then acting out the book.
• IQ encourages us to think about reading books for next year-for 4^th grade.

PARENTS

• This is great . . . a way to work together . . mom and you, dad and you . . . not in front of the television.

TEACHERS

• The workshop strengthened my perception, encouraged me to take more risks.
• It has given me a new challenge. It's been a wake up call.
• I believe programs like IQ are essential for educators; though we know applying the arts is important, many of us don't know how to implement more multipel intelligences in the curriculum.

PRINCIPAL

IQ truly practices the mantra of the DC public Schools...Children first...their future is now.