art, adapted. partners
working together to provide high-quality visual arts education to all students, no matter their ability.
uNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS ART THERAPY
UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS, College of Applied Behavioral Sciences
2018 - PRESENT
2018 - present:
smith and art, adapted. works together to educate pre-art therapy students for the senior capstone class
2022
smith and art, adapted. won the outstanding community partner in service-learning award from the university of indianapolis.
2026
guest lecturer on adapted art for pre-art therapy students at UINDY
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
iNDIANA RESOURCE CENTER FOR AUTISM
2022 - PRESENT
2023
smith was the presenter for the IU resource center for autism on adapted art in a gen-ed world. smith presented to art teachers, behavior specialists, and autism specialists across the state of indiana.
RUTH CALLON CENTER
CLARK-PLEASANT SCHOOL CORPORATION
K-5 trauma & behavior school
2025 - PRESENT
2025 - present
smith and art, adapted. partnered with the clark-pleasant school corporation to provide adapted art classes to the new K-5 susan callon center for trauma and behavior.
RISE
RISE LEARNING CENTER
trauma informed public school
2017-2025
RISE is a trauma informed public school serving students with exceptional behavioral or health needs across central indiana.
smith’s award-winning adapted arts program was the first of its kind. it was created with the goal that ALL students, no matter their ability, have the right to creative expression through art.
art, adapted. was based on national visual arts standards and designed specifically for special needs students. RISE has three departments- behavior education (K-12), lifeskills (K- age 22), and move (K- age 22). RISE is one of only 30 movev(mobility opportunities via education) international model sites in the world.
in 2017 smith created the award winning, RISE adapted arts program. smith developed a national core visual arts standards-based curriculum framework, specifically designed for adapted arts.
smith developed innovative adapted arts curriculum and lesson plans, differentiated by grade, developmental levels, and IEP student goals. smith was responsible for teaching standards-based visual arts curriculum to meet the specific needs of RISE students, across thirteen grade-levels, for twenty-five classes (kindergarten – high school).
smith was responsible for adapting all standards-based gen-ed art curriculum in three departments, behavior education, academic and functional lifeskills, and move. smith incorporated hands-on visual arts education learning labs, creating a real outdoor archaeological dig, connecting art & archaeology. smith created urban youth arts programs addressing low self-esteem and the alienation of urban youth. smith worked to connect technology and the visual arts through digital photography, stop-motion photography, and graphic design for high school credit classes. smith worked to create STE(A)M collaboration: connecting art and STEM education.