The Online Art Teachers (K-12)  Facebook Group was formed on March 11, 2020 as a service project BY art teachers FOR art teachers during the uncertain times of COVID19 pandemic teaching.  Our mission was to support art educators, as well as other educators, during an educational crisis. A dedicated team of state, national, and international art education leaders formed during emergency circumstances to guide and lead OATK12 and to ensure that art educators across the United States and world felt supported and connected during pandemic teaching. With 28,000+ members and well over two million interactions, this world-wide collaboration of art educators from more than 120 countries provided, and continues to provide, a much needed resource for teachers.  While OATK12 began as a private Facebook group, we also offered private Zoom mentoring sessions for educators during the early pandemic, team leaders often spoke to many school district groups and home school networks and other organizations, and we have thus far hosted four virtual conferences, two online exhibitions, and other events.  OATK12 also hosts this website, provides many varied resources,  and continues to maintain a Google Folder of resources shared freely by group members during the pandemic.  OATK12 is a true service project with no monetary transactions of any kind. We are art teachers working collaboratively with other art teachers for the good of art education, during the COVID-19 pandemic and other 2020-2022 world issues, and beyond.  As 2023 unfolds we now find ourselves focusing on teacher retention and recruitment, as well as the mental health and wellness of teachers and students. 

With the pandemic crisis in education lessening, the Facebook Group was permanently archived on July 12, 2022.  OATK12 will continues here on the website.  Check back often for news and information. The private Facebook Group and the group's Google Drive can still be accessed and used, yet no new posts, comments, or resources can be uploaded or shared.  Links to all of these resources can be found throughout this website.  We will regularly work to keep this website updated. 

If you would like to be on an email list to receive information about upcoming conferences and other events, please complete this Google Form:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfpUPaCxI0woVbYgUCxeOIIEJnJj1WDZU8OAfO2MoOd0_Dhfw/viewform?usp=sf_link