Western Pennsylvania Wolf Trap
Early Learning Through the Arts Program
Request a Wolf Trap Residency for your Early Childhood Classroom!
The Trust’s Western Pennsylvania Wolf Trap program, including Baby ArtsplayTM, provides innovative arts-in-education experiences for children ages birth - 6, their teachers and families. The objective is to encourage early childhood practitioners to integrate performing arts teaching techniques into their curriculum to support their children's learning. Drama, music and movement experiences not only support physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development, but they create active, joyful, child-centered learning environments.
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is proud to be one of 27 regional affiliates of the internationally acclaimed Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, and the only site in Pennsylvania. Western Pennsylvania Wolf Trap includes professional development workshops for early childhood educators and seven-week classroom residencies.
Western Pennsylvania Wolf Trap program offers include:
- Professional Development workshops for early childhood educators.
- Classroom Residencies — Participating teachers partner with the teaching artists in the classroom to develop, refine and assess experiences designed to foster children’s cognitive, socio-emotional, physical and creative development, drawing on the artist’s performing arts specialty and on the educators’ early childhood knowledge and experience. Sites located within Allegheny County and no farther than 25 miles from downtown Pittsburgh or sites within Beaver and Washington Counties will receive a 10-session residency, based on artist availability.
- Supplementary Wolf Trap Classroom Materials — Each participating classroom receives access to Wolf Trap Intitute Early Learning Through the Arts resources and an additional gift (picture book, musical instrument, etc.) Each child receives a “Take-home” booklet, which recaps the residency activities and provides prompts for arts interaction at home.
STEAM in the Early Childhood Classroom
With support from a 4-year research study showing positive results on students' math achievement from the Wolf Trap arts-integrated model, the Trust’s Wolf Trap STEAM residencies teach strategies on how to support your children's STEM learning through the arts! Learn more about the benefits of arts-integration through the Wolf Trap Program.
To receive information on how to enliven learning in your early childhood classroom with a Wolf Trap residency, please contact Julissa Bermea, Manager of Early Childhood Programs at 412-456-2695 or by e-mail.
Western PA Wolf Trap Teaching Artists
Ayana Toukam
Ayana Toukam is a Teaching Artist and Cultural Cosmetology educator with over 14 years of experience leading arts-based educational programming for youth in Pittsburgh. She designs culturally grounded learning experiences that weave together music and hands-on creative practices to support identity development, self-esteem, and community connection. Her work centers joyful, participatory environments that nurture curiosity, creativity, and cultural pride. Ayana has taught in schools, community arts programs, and cultural institutions across Pittsburgh, including programming with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
Brianna Crawford
Brianna Crawford is a teaching artist who works with schools and youth programs to bring fun, engaging musical and theatrical experiences directly to children. She has a background in music education from Youngstown State University and is an active musician, performing with the Pittsburgh Opera Chorus, local community theatre, and serving as a worship assistant at her church. Brianna provides vocal coaching for local school productions and directs at The Geneva College Musical Theatre Camp, working closely with students in both classroom and performance settings. She leads sessions in music and theatre using her skills to help the kids have so much fun they don't even realize they are learning. She is especially passionate about creating spaces where kids feel safe to try, grow, and fully enjoy the process.
Celeta Hickman
Celeta Hickman is a dancer, masquerade, bead artist, and student of Africana Studies with an interest in the West African Art of leadership, functional art, and art societies. Celeta danced professionally with Nego Gato Capoeira Angola, Shades of Black Movement and Legacy Arts Project and is nationally recognized Wolf Trap Program for Early Learning Through the Arts teaching artist. She teaches children throughout southwestern Pennsylvania Africana and Afro-Caribbean history, art and dance traditions. Ms. Hickman is the lead arts educator for the August Wilson Center for African American Culture. She is an accessories and masquerade designer with a popular stationery line called New Village Daughter Papers. Celeta has proudly served as the Afro-Caribbean dance instructor at the Hill Dance Academy twelve years. In 2015 she was one of the local dancers selected to perform with Ronald K. Brown/ Evidence, A Dance Company in their critically acclaimed production “On Earth Together”.
Conor Coleman
Conor Coleman is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, researcher, and Fulbright Scholar from Pittsburgh, PA. He holds an MS in Applied Developmental Psychology, and his research focuses on utilizing expressive arts as a scaffold for community dialogue and conflict resolution. With 12+ years’ experience as a teaching artist with a focus on mural-making, Coleman has also earned grants to lead culturally integrated programming in locations like India, Mexico, and Israel and Palestine. In addition to his work as muralist, facilitator, and qualitative data-cruncher, Coleman is also a performance artist. Raised in Irish-American culture, Coleman placed 5th in the World Championships of Irish Dance, toured with companies Lord of the Dance and Hammerstep, and made his Broadway debut in 2022 as an original cast member in the musical Paradise Square. He also plays the Irish frame drum, the bodhran, and finds that all his work centers around the rhythm of engagement — the shared heartbeat. His embodied rhythm practices are heavily featured in his mind-bending visual art, where contours are revealed through his marks made and artifacts excavated. He had his first solo show in 2024 at the International Children’s Art gallery, and his murals are available to view in cities around the globe.
Delana Flowers
Delana Flowers is a Teaching Artist, vocalist, poet, and actress in a category of her own. Her energy and eclecticism fill every space of any room as she brings her art from her heart and soul to yours. Delana loves using art as a vehicle for change, self-expression and education. Wherever possible, she lives for those magic moments only art brings as it connects people in such profound ways.
Gabby Wilson
Gabby Wilson is a teaching artist with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. She specializes in Theatre Arts and Latin Culture. She has worked in many programs at the Trust for the past three years including Disney Musicals in Schools, Early Childhood residency programs, and K12 residency programs. She is eager to explore this new world and methods of teaching!
Jackie Mishol
Jackie Mishol is a passionate artist with experience across multiple mediums, including theater, dance, music, puppetry, and multimedia storytelling. Her work is influenced by her training at Carnegie Mellon, and also years of performing across the country including on the magical main streets of Walt Disney World. She brings this magic and fresh perspectives to the classroom as she focuses on creating safe environments for students to try, explore, and succeed! In Pittsburgh her work has filled the halls of the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, MuseumLAB, for PBS Kids in Mr. Roger’s house at the original WQED studios, and more. Jackie is also a grateful recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award, created by the White House after 9/11 as a call to action for Americans to help one's neighbors, and was bestowed by the President of the United States recognizing Jackie for her service of the community through the performing and visual arts. Miss Jackie believes the arts are for everyone, and in the power of wonder and discovery!
Joanna Abel
Interdisciplinary Artist Joanna Abel is a dancer, drummer, and visual artist. She has been a teaching artist for 11 years with several organizations including Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Gateway to the Arts, and Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Arts Education Center. Joanna uses movement, music, and visual art to create exciting and engaging learning experiences with Pre-K, K-12, and adult classes. She travels nationally teaching and performing dance and teaches weekly classes in her dance studio in Carnegie.
Margaret Hooton
Early Childhood Music Specialist Margaret Hooton has been singing and dancing with children and those who love them for more than 40 years. At Duquesne University’s school of education, she taught courses on integrating the arts into the curriculum. As a continuing education trainer for teachers, Margaret has presented workshops at national and regional conferences.
Mandy Onder
Mandy Onder is a graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College with dual degrees in theatre arts and education. She has over 20 years’ experience teaching young children how to appreciate and utilize the arts in their lives.
Taylor Couch
Taylor Couch is a performer, Teaching Artist, and Pittsburgh native who believes in the power of artful education and play-based learning. With a BA in Developmental Studies (specializing in Early Childhood Education and Literacy Acquisition) and a Masters in Drama and Performance Studies, Taylor's methods have a foundation in best practices from both the arts and education. Some of Taylor's favorite topics to address in programming are trauma-informed education and developmentally appropriate coping skills, body awareness, large and fine motor skills scaffolding, and creating safe opportunities for free expression.
Liza Barley
Liza Barley is a musician, sound artist, and composer whose work is centered around collective creation, installation, and performance. She is an educationalist who believes in using the arts to bring people together from all walks of life, to challenge each other to think creatively and make collectively in all types of contexts. She has lived and worked all over the world, primarily in Tanzania, London (UK), Portugal, and the United States. She currently resides in Pittsburgh, PA.
Karen Merritt
Karen Merritt is a teaching artist, actress, and audiobook narrator whose artistic discipline is theater. She teaches children to create characters using their bodies, voices, and imaginations. Karen has taught at Pittsburgh Public Theater, Gateway to the Arts, Heinz History Center, Saltworks Theatre Company, Pittsburgh Project, and The Hazelwood Library. Karen holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Penn State University, an M.F.A. in Acting from Carnegie Mellon University and The Moscow Art Theatre School (a joint program) and has received training through Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts.
David Minniefield
David Minniefield has been acting, directing, and teaching for over twenty years. He has been a teaching artist with the Trust since 2019, starting with the Disney Musicals in School program. His humor and thorough knowledge of the Arts makes him top of the line when it comes to teaching 1st through 12th graders in the realm of theatre. David enjoys instilling a love of theater and performing to children of all ages.
Katalina Salcedo
Katalina has been with the Trust Arts team since January 2022, working as a dance teaching artist. Her career as an artist expands over 3 decades. She began her career as a professional ballerina and since then she has devoted her gifts towards teaching, training, and choreographing. Her passion is to pass on her wealth of knowledge and experience to the next generation. Katalina's body of work is founded on establishing a solid foundation in ballet and instilling a love for dance.
Diarra Imani
No matter the classroom or space, Ms. Imani creates a hub for vibrant colors, cool energy, intentional healing work, and community bridging through the arts. As a yogi, singer and poet this professional creative has traveled the globe sharing breath, movement and genuine joy with the children of the future!
Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts is a program of Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.
