About Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS)

VTS is much more than an art curriculum; as a facilitation method and professional development program that fosters collaborative, inclusive, community-building dialogue, VTS has the power to change the way we relate to one another as teachers, students, and colleagues. VTS is comprised of arts and education professionals that specialize in deep listening and responsive teaching practices; we are passionate about sharing what we have learned with others. For over 30 years, VTS has fostered reflective communities of practice in educational environments including classrooms, museums, and hospitals around the world. VTS is uniquely suited to support educators as they rise to meet the challenges and opportunities of a 21st century education.

Please read the VTS Commitment to Antiracist Work.

Our Mission

Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) transforms the way students think and learn by providing training and curriculum for people to facilitate discussions of visual art that significantly increase student engagement, performance, and enjoyment of learning. We train educators to utilize the VTS method so that they are more effective in their own contexts and communities.

Our Vision

Through our work, VTS seeks to:

Support educators in building collaborative, reflective learning communities that respect and celebrate diverse viewpoints, individual experience, and learning styles

Shift education practice and transform classrooms to be learner centered, inclusive, and relevant

Increase critical thinking, visual literacy, communication & collaboration skills for all learners

Continually evolve VTS practice and training to be more representative, inclusive, and accessible

Connect VTS practitioners, fostering a larger community of collaboration and reflective practice

Our Values

We value:

Thoughtfully facilitated discussions of art making education more engaging and equitable

Reflective teaching practices that support education systems to become more inclusive, accessible, and responsive

An equitable society of thoughtful, respectful citizens that value diverse perspectives

Reflective practice around issues of race, class, gender, and ability in order to increase awareness of and respond to the inequities that exist in the arts and education