Building Creative Inclusive Learning Spaces: A Train-the-Trainer Initiative

For more than 60 years, Appel Farm Arts & Music Center has been a leader in arts education and creative youth development in South Jersey. Each year, more than 32,000 children and adults participate in arts based programs designed to foster creativity, connection, and belonging. At the heart of our work is a commitment to safe and brave spaces where people of all identities can express themselves and thrive. From our flagship overnight Arts Camp, the state’s only residential summer camp dedicated to arts education, to school residencies, afterschool programs, community festivals, professional learning, and arts-based wellness partnerships, Appel Farm champions inclusive practices that honor the whole person and celebrate the intersections of art, identity, and community.

Through Inclusive Healthy Communities funding, Appel Farm is launching a two-year initiative, Building Creative Inclusive Learning Spaces: A Train-the-Trainer Initiative. This project will build statewide capacity for inclusive arts learning by preparing Appel Farm staff to train artists, educators, and community partners in creating neurodiversity- and disability-affirming environments. The initiative includes the formation of an Advisory Council of youth, educators, and community members with diverse lived experiences to guide and inform the work; the development of a comprehensive digital Resource Bank to provide ongoing support and practical tools to trainers and participants; and, in the second year, the pilot implementation of the Train-the-Trainer model in partnership with schools and community organizations.

By equipping leaders across New Jersey with the knowledge and resources to remove barriers to arts participation, this initiative will ensure that more people with disabilities can access and shape the creative, healing power of the arts.

Creating a more inclusive arts learning environment

Over the past 60 years, Appel Farm Arts & Music Center has delivered transformative arts and learning experiences as the arts education leader in South Jersey. Our programs provide opportunities for arts education, arts appreciation, and creative expression to more than 32,000 children and adults annually. Appel Farm’s core program is our overnight Arts Camp, the state’s only residential summer camp dedicated to arts education. Other programs include: after school arts classes; free community festivals; residencies and professional development for schools; and innovative arts and wellness-based residencies with community partners.

With our IHC grant, Appel Farm will upgrade key elements of our 115-acre campus to create a more inclusive arts learning environment for people with disabilities. Over the next two years, Appel Farm will improve its safety and ADA accessibility through the following campus renovations: installation of new concrete sidewalk paths; installation of LED lighting poles to illuminate the campus at night; and the installation of a wheelchair lift at the entrance to our main office. The pathways and lighting systems will bring the design of campus closer to
principles of universal design, ensuring that any community member can navigate our campus in an efficient manner of their choosing.