This session showcases an interdisciplinary approach to teaching through the Empty Bowls: Hunger, Art, and Humanity project, which connects social studies, art, and real-world issues. Participants will explore how students investigate hunger across historical periods, including the Middle Ages, and make connections to present-day global challenges. Through this project, students engage in historical inquiry, analyze sources, and express their understanding through meaningful artistic creation.
Presenters will share unit design, instructional strategies, and student work samples that highlight the integration of literacy, critical thinking, and creativity. The session will also emphasize how cross-curricular collaboration can increase student engagement, amplify student voice, and promote empathy and global awareness.
Attendees will leave with practical tools, adaptable resources, and ideas for implementing similar interdisciplinary projects in their own classrooms, regardless of content area.
Middle Grades Social Studies Teacher, Catawba County Schools
April Dula is a 7th Grade Social Studies teacher at Jacobs Fork Middle School with over 23 years of experience in education. She leverages her background in English Language Arts and her AIG certification to design rigorous, interdisciplinary instruction that integrates literacy... Read More →
Larkin Ingle is an Art teacher at Jacobs Fork Middle School with over 18 years of experience in education. She holds a K–12 reading certification and brings extensive experience in literacy instruction, which strengthens her ability to integrate reading and comprehension skills... Read More →
Wednesday June 10, 2026 10:10am - 11:10am EDT Elm Room 222
TRiO programs rode a federal roller coaster throughout 2025 and it may not be over yet. At times, our communities and representatives have come dangerously close to losing sight of what these programs are, what they do, and the life-changing impact they can have. In this auto-biographical session, the speaker will guide you through her own life's journey as a first-generation, low-income student from rural Madison County, vulnerably sharing the obstacles she faced and the ways that TRiO programs helped her build a better future, both for herself and for the future students she would eventually be called to serve as a college access advisor. Along the way, she'll support her personal narrative with data and statistics about TRiO programs (GEAR UP, Upward Bound, McNair Scholars, Talent Search, Student Support Services, etc.), painting a full picture of TRiO's value and openly discussing what the future might hold.
