Jacob Watson

Jacob currently works at the Center for Community Arts Partnerships (CCAP) at Columbia College Chicago, where he manages the expansion of Project AIM (Arts Integration Mentorship), a program that partners K-12 classroom teachers and professional artists in the creation of original, arts-integrated curriculum. Previous to this, Jacob served as the Coordinator of Digital Pedagogy & Mentorship with the Convergence Academies initiative, a 3-year collaboration with Chicago Public Schools to support 21st Century learning through integration of digital media and technology into curriculum, instruction, and culture across an entire school.

His own teaching experience comprises a diverse array of organizations including Albany Park Theatre Project, Goodman Theatre, Redmoon, Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, and Urban Gateways. In addition, Jacob spent three years as the Arts Education Consultant at Creative Directions, where he facilitated professional development workshops and institutes for communities of teachers nationwide. He is also a founding member and workshop leader with For Youth Inquiry (FYI), a program of the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH), which empowers teachers, health educators, and violence prevention specialists to use participatory, arts-based methods in sexuality education.

In addition to his work in education, Jacob is a professional director and scenic designer, whose work has been seen at theaters such as Piven Theatre Workshop, Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, The Chopin, City Lit, Raven Theatre, the side project, Adventure Stage Chicago, and The Music Theatre Company -- as well as in non-traditional spaces such as homes, churches, and schools. Jacob holds a B.A. in Theatre from Northwestern University, where he was awarded the Aurand Harris Award for Excellence in Children’s Theatre.

Photo by Jaclyn Simpson, as part of Lyric Opera's Chicago Voices.