Courses are taught in an intensive weekend format. Each course is 25 hours (except Orientation/Creative Wisdom) and runs from Thursday evening until Sunday afternoon. These courses are offered in January, April, and October.
Students may apply for Level One or Levels One and Two combined. If accepted into both Levels One and Two, students can begin taking Level Two courses after completing two Level One intensives.
Level 1 (Personal Practice) Requirements:
1. Weekend Intensive Courses:
EAFI 100 (Orientation) is fulfilled through enrollment in Creative Wisdom: Introductory Online Training Self-Study course. Welcome Lesson and Lesson 1 are required to be completed prior to attendance of first intensive course.
EAFI 110 Intermodal Expressive Arts
EAFI 120 Body, Mind, Spirit
EAFI 130 Scope of Expressive Arts
2. Electives: 10 hours by completing Creative Wisdom and an additional 10 hours of workshops outside of the weekend coursework. These workshops/classes can be taken in the student’s own community
3. Advising: Monthly advising of 1 hour with advisor either via phone or Zoom or in person.
LEVEL 1
Level 1 is an experiential and didactic learning program, which provides a solid foundation of expressive arts practice. Students become familiar with the Expressive Arts field, and immerse themselves in this work, resulting in the development of a personal practice.
The material covered during Level 1 will include an overview of the field, with applications for individual, group, family, and community wellness and healing, and a series of expressive arts processes that focus on the whole person, including body, mind, and spirit.
Learning during the weekend courses is primarily experiential in nature, and students entering Level 1 should be prepared to do some significant personal work as part of their understanding and knowledge of this field.
Depending on each student’s previous educational and professional background, and their professional goals, they may be ready to begin implementing this work with others, as a facilitator.
Level 1 consists of Creative Wisdom: Introductory Online Training Self-Study, 3 weekend intensive (25 hour) courses, and 20 elective credit hours (10 are fulfilled by completing Creative Wisdom self-study). There will be assignments for each course, and students will complete them between weekend intensives.
Level 2 (Professional Practice) Requirements:
1. Weekend Intensive Courses:
EAFI 210 Foundations of Expressive Arts
EAFI 220 Expressive Arts in the World
EAFI 230 Business and Profession of Expressive Arts
EAFI 240 Internship/Final Project OR EAFI 250 Clinical Supervised Practicum (for therapists only)
2. Electives: 20 hours of workshops outside of the weekend coursework.
3. Advising: Monthly advising of 1 hour with advisor either via Zoom, by phone, or in person.
Additional requirements:
Assignments for each course and written summaries of electives as well as documentation of the student’s experience in the program (reviewed at the Final Certificate Review) are required for credit to be given for classes and for certificates to be issued.
LEVEL 2
This experiential and didactic learning program, further prepares students to facilitate the
expressive arts with others and create their own professional practice. The material covered during
Level 2 focuses on developing facilitation skills, learning the various theoretical approaches and
real-world applications, defining the scope and focus of each student’s own expressive arts work,
and learning the business strategies, ethics, professional registrations, and resources that assist
the student in building a successful expressive arts practice or integrating Expressive Arts into
an existing career.
Level Two consists of 3 weekend intensive courses (25 hours each), 20 elective credit hours, and an
Internship. Students will have assignments to complete for each of the weekend classes. The
internship, in most cases, will be completed in the student’s home community.
Elective Credits
20 hours for each level. Student will work with advisor to determine electives that will complement
the curriculum and reflect individual student goals.
Mentoring/Advising
Each student will be assigned an advisor, and online mentoring and support with the advisor will be an integral part of the student’s educational program. Advisors/Mentors are either core faculty of Expressive Arts Florida Institute or graduate teaching assistants.
Documentation
All Expressive Arts Florida Institute students will be expected to document their personal and professional process, both for Level One and Level Two. Specific guidelines for this documentation will be provided in the student handbook and in their first appointment with their Advisor/Mentor.
Documentation will consist of keeping a journal of all processes that are introduced, and personal and professional reactions to these processes. Photos of artwork and related images will be included, as well as handouts, material from elective courses.
Assignments and Readings
Each weekend intensive course will have an assignment, with both a written and an arts component. Level One and Level Two each have a required reading list.