History
Artstream began in 2015 as an Active Learning program through the Fine Arts initiative of the El Paso Community Foundation, in collaboration with EPISD’s Fine Arts Program and the Philosophic Systems Institute. Starting with three elementary schools at EPISD, our team worked with teachers and their classrooms to integrate essential learning elements of fine arts to amplify the breadth of engagement and depth of learning. Since then, we have worked with over dozen schools, several local districts, and many cultural organizations to bring transformational creative art experiences into the learning processes.
Bios
Mika Cohen Jones has extensive experience in education research and evaluation, as well as program development. For several years, Mika worked as a Senior Research Associate for the Institute for Learning Innovation, a non-profit “think tank” that facilitates community-wide partnerships that encourage organizations to understand and support learning across contexts and over time to build lifelong learning infrastructures that support individual growth, vital communities and civic engagement. Mika has worked with a broad range of institutions, including public school districts, children’s museums, science centers, art museums, and national parks. She has taught university courses in Anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, has a Master’s degree in Ecology and Anthropology from the University of California, Davis. For the past four years, Mika has brought her interdisciplinary background to Artstream, reframing the role of creative, intrinsically-driven learning in public education, public impact, and engagement.
Maria McCullough has been teaching music for over 15 years. She was teaching artist at the world renowned Old Town School of Folk music from 2005 – 2012 and received one of the first Distinguished Teacher Artist awards in 2015. Maria specializes in Early Childhood and Family Music. She believes that all people have the ability to express music and enjoys teaching people from 6 months – adult. Maria co-led Carambola Community Music in El Paso from 2015 – 2018. She joined the Artstream team in November of 2016 and loves working with the teachers, students and administrators that are a part of this program. In addition to being 200 hr certified yoga instructor, Maria has a Chair Yoga Teacher Certification, Restorative Yoga Certification and is working on her 300 YTT certification at Surya Yoga in El Paso. She believes that all people have the ability to express themselves through music and other art channels and enjoys sharing with people from birth – adult. Maria received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Southern California in 2001.
Juan Ferret is one of the founders of Artstream, a project initiative of the El Paso Community Foundation, and he focuses on integrating higher learning with the arts for underserved populations. Juan is also the founder and Executive Director of the Philosophic Systems Institute (PSI), a community non-profit organization which aims to introduce art, logic, scientific reasoning, and interdisciplinary critical inquiry in our community in a systematic and effective way. His projects include: Shadows to Light, a Federal Reentry and a Federal Diversion program that offers higher learning and life skills for ex-offender adults; a K-12 NASA sponsored STREAM curriculum based on deeply engaging scientific narratives and the in collaboration with local schools, museums, and community organizations. Juan received his Ph.D. in Philosophy at the University of Oregon after obtaining bachelor degrees in philosophy, mathematics, and physics from Gonzaga University.