Kari-Lynn Winters, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education, recently won a St. Catharines Arts Award in the Arts in Education category.Kari-Lynn Winters is committed to engaging the community through arts education — and her efforts have not gone unnoticed.
The associate professor in Brock’s Faculty of Education was recently honoured with a St. Catharines Arts Award in the Arts in Education category.
Winters is an accomplished educator, researcher and artist. In addition to teaching drama, language arts and dance to Brock’s teacher candidates, she is a graduate supervisor and researcher working with students and colleagues to conduct research studies throughout St. Catharines.
“As an educator, I try to foster curiosity through an active, hands-on, inquiry approach, where learning is always simultaneously physical, social, emotional and cognitive,” said Winters. “For me, the arts are integral to learning and learning is integral to the arts, whether it be in a classroom at Brock University, a gymnasium or library in a school, a dance studio, a community festival or fundraiser, or in my own home teaching online.”
Outside of Brock, Winters works with local arts groups, children, parents, librarians and teachers as an artist and children’s book author. She has won awards for her books, in addition to her work as a performer and playwright.
As a workshop facilitator and educator, she inspires people of all ages to use drama as a way of knowing. For example, in collaboration with the Carousel Players, Winters created the early years curriculum for pre-schools and kindergarten classes in Niagara. Each year, Winters visits schools across Canada and around the world to share her enthusiasm for creative writing and literacy education with thousands of K-12 students.
“I am proud to be a member of the St. Catharines creative community and I am extremely thankful for winning this Arts in Education award,” said Winters. She is grateful to the Brock students and colleagues who nominated her.
The St. Catharines Arts Awards ceremony was originally scheduled for May 1 at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. Due to COVID-19, the ceremony took place virtually on Oct. 25.
