The Da Vinci Initiative has launched a YouTube Channel where you will find a series of short instructional videos. In our latest five minute video, DVI President and Co-Founder, Mandy Hallenius demonstrates how to create an easy light box for your classroom. Light boxes, also known as shadow boxes, allow a teacher to manage the light source when setting up a still life exercise. It is also inexpensive, requires very little storage, and can be setup very fast. Click here for the full video or on the image below. Be sure to subscrbe to our YouTube Channel for more useful videos.

The Da Vinci Initiative Fully Funds Kickstarter
 
The Da Vinci Initiative is thrilled to report that we raised $10,933 in our first Kickstarter campaign on October 25th, which exceeded our $8,500 goal by over 20%. Thank you to all the 196 backers of this effort; it is because of you that we will be able to offer our first online course! Kickstarter is an online platform that hosts fundraising campaigns for artistic endeavors. It is an all-or-nothing system where the project is only funded if the goal is reached by the deadline. Only 40% of Kickstarter projects are fully funded, so it is a testament to the enthusiasm and success of The Da Vinci Initiative that we were able to attract such amazing support.

The online course will be comprised of 30 videos, each will be 10 minutes long.The course will use a studio-based model that includes critiques from highly trained professional artists. Teachers will be able to use our easy to follow, step-by-step instructions to bring back skill-based art techniques to the classroom. Lesson plans designed for K-12 art classrooms will also be included with the online course. Continuing education credits will be made available for educators who complete the course. Stay tuned for more information about the launch of this incredible new DVI project. 

You can still pre-order this course by clicking here.

Click the Kickstarter button to learn more about our campaign and what we hope to accomplish. If you missed the deadline for the Kickstarter, you can still donate to The Da Vinci Initiative at any time,here.

The Da Vinci Initiative Featured in The Huffington Post,
The Epoch Times & Fine Art Connoisseur 
 
We are so excited that are our mission for visual literacy is being recognized on this scale. 

The Huffington Post article entitled, "The Da Vinci Initiative," explains how the DVI mission is filling a void in art education for both teachers and students. To read the article, click here.

The Epoch Times article entitled, "Teaching Teachers the Basics of Visual Arts," discusses The Da Vinci Initiative’s goal to legitimize and expand the role of art education in the general K-12 curricula through skill-based learning.
To read the article, click here.

The Fine Art Connoisseur article,"Teaching Da Vinci Today," praises The Da Vinci Initiative for inspiring a whole new generation of artists. To read the article, click here.