Part of the first ever visual arts seminar for CWB, Ms. Ceurvorst and her cohort headed for Israel to see firsthand how art contributes to social transformations within communities. For ten days, the group immersed themselves in the culture and visited museums, galleries, artist studios, and historic sites to learn about the uniquely creative country and its inhabitants. “I was blown away by the richness and density of visual culture in Israel, an area the size of New Jersey. The people we met were so welcoming and open, they wanted to share their art, education, and culture. They showed us what it really meant to be an Israeli artist,” said Ms. Ceurvorst.

One particularly meaningful experience for Ms. Ceurvorst was her time at the Umm El-Fahem Gallery. At the gallery, she met artists from an all-female ceramics collective, who sell their work together to foster a sense of community, build confidence, and bring income into their homes. Moved by their commitment to empowering each other through art, Ms. Ceurvorst intends to teach her Lower School students about the artists and the collective. Ellis students will create their own ceramics using the same slab building techniques the women use.

With plans to partner with the gallery and all-female collective this year, Ms. Ceurvorst is brimming with excitement and ideas on how her experience can enrich her students' art and understanding of diverse cultures. “I try to teach my students art through creativity, self-reflection, and critical thinking. My goal is for every girl to see themselves reflected in the art they learn about. Just like those women at the gallery, I want my students to know that their art is important and what they say and create is valid,” she says.

Following the seminar, Ms. Ceurvorst has kept in close touch with the artists and educators she traveled with to Israel and has been busy creating her own art influenced by the trip. “I didn’t expect for the trip to reinvigorate my own artistic practice,” she said. “I think it’s easy when you’re an educator to only focus on your students, but I know creating and showing my own work is equally important to the girls.”

Ms. Ceurvorst and her cohort plan to exhibit their art together at next year’s Three Rivers Arts Festival and host a student art show inspired by the Inside Israel: Arts & Culture seminar. “It was an incredibly valuable experience and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without Ellis. Thanks to the JEP travel grant I was given this opportunity. Ellis has been so supportive of me professionally and in the day-to-day. I can’t wait to bring everything I’ve learned into my classroom.”