Carol Sterling

(Last updated: November 24, 2017)

Carol Sterling is an arts educator and teaching artist who has devoted her life’s work to advocate for the importance of arts education in the lives of people all ages, from young people to older adults, and has served in arts and education leadership positions on local, state, regional, national and international levels for over fifty years.

Carol has conducted workshops throughout the US, and in many other countries, including: Australia, China, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, and Spain.

She was selected as a Fulbright Program Specialst and conducted arts education workshops in Uganda (2012), and India (2015).

Carol received the Distinguished Service Award for Arts Education presented by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.,

She was invited to The White House where she was recognized for her contribution to education reform efforts.

Carol is currently serving on the following boards:
- The School Art League.
- The Judith S. Kaye High School.
- Zawadi Africa Education Fund.
- Penny Jones Early Childhood Puppet Theatre.

She has formerly served on the Jim Henson Foundation Board and is continuing to serve as a consultant.

She is a former board member of the puppetry guild of greater New York.

As a consultant, Carol Sterling guides teachers, administrators, curriculum coordinators, after school programs, arts in education programs, arts councils, senior centers, libraries,
- anyone designing, developing and evaluating arts programs for all ages!

Additionally Carol has developed expertise as an educational puppeteer. She works with pre-service and in-service teachers, undergraduate and graduate students in Education, sharing strategies in how to integrate puppetry to enrich the language arts, social studies, health/nutrition/wellness, and science curricula in grades Pre-K-12.

Teaching Artist with Older Adults

Carol is a teaching artist in Senior Centers and libraries and conducts workshops on "Celebrating Your Life through the Visual and Performing Arts".

Teaching Artist with Young People

Carol Sterling is a teaching artist in schools throughout New York City.

Teaching Artist with High School students

Carol Sterling works in cooperation with arts councils throughout New York City.

Educational Puppeteer

Carol Sterling, educational puppeteer, provides workshops for schools, community and arts organizations in how to integrate puppetry in Pre-K-12 curriculum. As a Fulbright Program Specialist, she has worked in Uganda (2012) and India (2015). On November 12, 2015, she was a presenter at the Fulbright Association 38th Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Her presentation focused on International Education as she addressed the topic, “ Successful Strategies in Working with Host Institutions in Global Education. “

Gallery

(click on images for slideshow)

Arts and Education

Carol Sterling brings more than forty years of experience in education reform and arts in education as an arts and education consultant to state and local departments of education, school districts, state and local arts education and arts agencies.
She has served in leadership positions on local, state, regional, national and international levels. She is the former Director of Arts in Education for Brooklyn Arts Council, Director of Education for International Sculpture Center, Vice-President for the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and Arts Recognition and Talent Search (ARTS) in affiliation with The White House Scholars program, Director of Education for American Council for the Arts, Founding Director of Arts Partners, a collaboration between the New York City Department of Education with the Department of Cultural Affairs, Office of Youth Services and the Office of the Mayor, Arts Education Consultant with the New Jersey State Department of Education. She is a former art educator and art department chair for K-12 and guest art educator for children’s and adult programs for WCBS-TV, WNBC-TV, WABC-TV and others, as well as an award-winning children’s television producer, writer and host. Throughout her career she has held adjunct faculty appointments in schools of education in the metropolitan NYC area.

A passionate advocate for the arts in American society with special emphasis on the critical role of arts education in K-12 education, Carol Sterling has been a frequent presenter and workshop leader at local, state, national and international conferences. (See selected list under Presentations.) She has written about the field of arts and education. (See selected articles under Resources.) Recognition of her work on behalf of inclusion of the arts in education reform earned her an invitation to The White House. She is the recipient of the Distinguished Service in Arts Education Award by the Alliance for Arts Education from the John F. Kennedy Center, Washington, DC. She is the recipient of the Puppeteers of America Marjorie Batchelder McPharlin Award for Contributions to the Field of Education.

A selected list of boards and advisory committees she has served on include: National Certification Team for Young Audiences; Board of Trustees, The School Art League in affiliation with the New York City Department of Education; Arts Advisory Committee for Doing Art Together in affiliation with the Metropolitan Museum of Art; National Teacher Examination in Art Education for the Educational Testing Service; Arts Advisory Committee for The College Board; National Steering Committee for the National Assessment of Educational Progress’ Arts Education Consensus Project (NAEP); National Art Education Association Eastern Region Director for Supervision and Administration.

Carol Sterling is a graduate of Teachers College, Columbia University (MA in Fine Arts and Art Education). She received an Education Administration Professional Certificate from New York University. She is a graduate of Barnard College, Columbia University (BA in Sociology) and The High School of Music & Art, New York City Public Schools. She is certified to teach art, K-12, and has completed all requirements to serve as a School District Administrator and Principal in New York and New Jersey.

Carol Sterling welcomes the opportunity to design and/or evaluate arts in education programs that uniquely fit the needs of each client.

Giant puppet of Mother Theresa and Child, created by Carol Sterling with students at National School of Drama in Education.
Agartala, India, March, 2015.

Educational Puppetry

Carol Sterling is an arts and education consultant with expertise in educational puppetry and arts administration. She began her work as an art educator in elementary and high schools. Subsequently she taught courses in Integrating the Arts into the K-12 Curriculum to pre-service and in-service teachers at colleges and universities, conducted workshops for teachers and parents for the NYC Department of Education and New Jersey State Department of Education. As a Fulbright Program Specialist she has conducted educational puppetry workshops in India (2015) and Uganda (2012). In Spring 2015, she conducted a l0-week workshop as a SPARC (Seniors Partnering with Artists ) Teaching Artist with seniors at the New York City Chinatown Senior Center under the auspices of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. In Spring 2014, she conducted a 10-week workshop for parents and children who are on the Autistic Spectrum at Sinergia in East Harlem, NYC under the auspices of Healing Arts Institute. She has been commissioned to provide more than one hundred puppetry workshops as a visiting artist/educator at conferences and workshops in the United States and abroad, including Australia, China, Germany, India, Japan, Spain, Uganda, and United Kingdom. Additionally, in April, 2012, she shared a workshop at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut about model puppetry in education programs. As an artist in residence, she has created giant puppets for parades, festivals and special events. Additionally, she wrote and hosted an award winning children’s television program, “Shalom Corner, “ that featured puppets prominently while teaching about Jewish heritage and traditions.

Ms. Sterling has served in leadership positions as Education Consultant for Puppeteers of America, and as President of UNIMA-USA, the international organization of American puppeteers. She has served on the Advisory Board of The Puppetry Journal.

As a puppet designer/builder, writer and television host, Ms. Sterling created puppets and narrated an original script, “The Story of Chanukah” for WABC-TV. While working as a Fulbright Program Specialist in India, she guided students in the creation of a 15’ giant puppet of Mother Theresa holding a child. Additionally, while serving as a Fulbright Program Specialist in Uganda and as part of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Independence of Uganda, , she taught students how to create two giant puppets of the First President of Uganda, Sir Edward Mutesa II and the First Prime Minister of Uganda, Dr. Milton Obote. While serving as an Art Teacher at Ramaz School in New York City, she guided students in the creation of an l5’ giant puppet of Rabbi Shlomo Goren for the “Salute to Israel Parade,” which was attended by American and Israeli dignitaries. As an artist in residence working with members of the community, Ms. Sterling created eight 15’ giant puppets of baseball heroes for the reopening of Yankee Stadium with students from the Bronx High School of Science, in NYC and six l5’ giant puppets for Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina with members of the community.

While serving as President of UNIMA-USA, Ms. Sterling represented the United States at a UNIMA Conference in Japan. Following the conference, she traveled throughout the country conducting educational puppetry workshops for youth, teachers, parents and librarians. While in Japan, she established the Puppet Pals program that resulted in a puppet exchange between children in the New York City public schools and schools in Tokyo. The theme for the puppets was based on Folk Tales of the respective countries. The Japanese students’ puppets were exhibited at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan and American students’ puppets were exhibited at the Children’s Castle in Tokyo, Japan.

Ms. Sterling taught puppetry at Tel Hashomer Hospital in Israel. She worked in the Pediatric Ward as well as conducted workshops for the children of the hospital personnel.

Ms. Sterling has authored curriculum guides, including “Puppetry in the Classroom,” “Integrating the Arts into the Social Studies and Language Arts Curriculum,” published by the New Jersey State Department of Education. She has authored articles in The Puppetry Journal, “Bringing Puppetry to Uganda,” “How to Be a Puppeteer in the Schools,” School Arts, “Giant Puppets,” Puppetry as an Education and Therapeutic Tool, “ Puppetry, Television and Basic Skills,” among others.

In July 2011, Ms. Sterling retired from her position as Arts in Education Director for the Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) in Brooklyn, New York. From 2005 through June 2011, she designed, developed and supervised arts education programs for over l00 NYC public elementary, middle and high schools that reached approximately 27,000 students annually. She hired and supervised up to 125+ teaching artists who taught visual, performing and literary arts (including puppetry), as well as media arts and technology. While at Brooklyn Arts Council, she authored annual publications documenting programs she supervised including Cultural After School Adventures (CASA) , 2005-2011.

As an arts administrator, Ms. Sterling served as the Director of Education for the American Council for the Arts and coordinated conferences advocating for expanded arts in the curriculum. Her work on behalf of legislation for inclusion of the arts into the Goals 2000 Education Reform Act, earned her an invitation to the White House by then President William J. Clinton and then Secretary of Education Richard Riley. She convened conferences on “Arts Education Assessment and Student Achievement, “ “Public Relations Skills for Arts Educators, “ “Advocating for the Arts,” “Arts Education and the 21st Century Work Economy.” Additionally, she served as the Founding Director of “Art Partners,” a program that brought artists into the public schools in New York City. “Arts Partners” was collaboration between the NYC Department of Education, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, the NYC Youth Board and the Office of the Mayor. During her tenure at Arts Partners, she developed curriculum guides and publications, including, “Quiet Triumphs: Stories from Arts Partners,” “ “How to Paint the Sky,” a teacher’s guide to incorporating the arts into the curriculum.

Ms. Sterling is the recipient of the Distinguished Service for Arts Education Award presented by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. In 2013 she received the Puppeteers of America Award for Contributions to the Field of Education.

She received her B.A. from Barnard College, Columbia University, M.A. in Fine Arts and Art Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and Education Administration Professional Diploma from New York University. She is certified to teach art, K-12, and has completed all requirements to serve as a School District Administrator and Principal in New York and New Jersey.

Carol Sterling’s work as an educational puppeteer

Carol Sterling’s work as an educational puppeteer provides workshops for pre-service and in-service teachers in how to integrate puppetry into the K-12 curriculum. Strategies are shared that demonstrate how to enrich the language arts/literacy, social studies, science and health/nutrition/wellness curriculum while encouraging individual creativity and group cooperation. Using the arts as the foundation for teaching, workshops are tailored to meet the needs of the talents and diverse learning styles of all students, including special education and English Language Learners. Parent engagement workshops are also available.

Selected Presentations/Lectures/Conferences

Virtual (Zoom) Puppet Workshop for LaGuardia Senior Center as guest artist in affiliation with Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, August, 2021.
Book Review of eBook of The Underground Railway Theatre: Engine of Delight and Social Change, published in The Puppetry Journal, Winter 2021.
Virtual (Zoom) Puppet Show performance and follow up workshop for 152 students in Grades 1-6 students on the autism spectrum in affiliation with YAI (“Seeing Beyond Disability”), October, 2020.
“Puppets, Creation and Performance- Statue of Liberty and NYC Curriculum” for Grades 1 and 2 in affiliation with Brooklyn Arts Council at P.S. 195, February-March 2019.
“Puppets and Masks for The Lion King Jr.” for Grades 6, 7 and 8 in affiliation with Brooklyn Arts Council at I.S. 293, March-May 2019.
“Creative Art Experiences” with senior citizens in affiliation with the Institute for Retired Professionals (IRP, aka LP2) at the City University of New York, Manhattan, September- December 2019.
Book Review of “Out of the Shadows: The Jim Henson Festivals,” published online, 2019.
“The Critical Exchange—Inscapes to Global Puppetry: UNIMA As Catalyst, Roads to India,” and “Educational Puppetry and 21st Century Work Skills---meeting five Critical Competencies” at Puppeteers of America Conference, University of Minnesota, July 15-21, 2019.
“Puppetry Strategies and Environmental Issues: Learning Places; Understanding the City,” New York City College of Technology, June 20, 2019.
Puppet Show performance of How the Turtle Got Its Shell,” an African Folk Tale, presented five times at Finkelstein Public Library, Spring Valley, New York, for parents and children, June 5, 2019.
“Creative Art Experiences” with senior citizens at Hamilton Senior Center in affiliation with Lifetime Arts, January-June 2018.
“Strategies in Educational Puppetry and the Thailand K-12 Curriculum,” Semi Thai Marionette Theater, Bangkok, Thailand, November 25, 2018.
“Educational Puppetry Techniques, Strategies and Activities,” International Puppetry Conference, Langzhorn, China, December 18-23, 2018.
“Educational Puppetry Strategies,” Northeast Regional Puppetry Conference, Brattleboro, Vermont, September 21, 2018.
Invited to serve on committee for UNIMA-USA and assist in selecting potential venues and performances for UNIMA international puppetry conference in April 2020, Bali, Indonesia. Also, conducted puppetry workshop for selected participants, March 20-30, 2018.
Frida Kahlo Giant Puppet created by students at the High School of Fashion Industries invited to be exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art Education Center, as part of Manhattan High School Annual Student Exhibit, June 2-16, 2017. Project developed in affiliation with Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) also included the creation of Giant Puppets that reflected art history icons including: Mona Lisa, American Gothic, as well as the school mascot, a giant falcon.
“Educational Promise of a Puppet Called Me,” Puppeteers of America Conference, Concordia University, Minnesota, July 18, 2017.
“Technology and the Role of Special Education: Using the Intervention of Puppetry Arts to Bring the Curriculum Alive,” Dare Munnar School, Munnar, India, February 11-12, 2017.
“Puppetry and the Core Curriculum,” Northeast Regional Puppetry Festival, Kerhonkson, New York, September 9, 2016.
“Fun with Puppets,” in affiliation with Brooklyn Arts Council, in Grades Pre-K-Grade 1 at P.S. 770, March- June, 2016.
“Fun with Puppets,” in affiliation with Brooklyn Arts Council, a series of 10 Saturday workshops at P.S. 208 for parents and children with emphasis on literacy, communication and camaraderie, March – June 2016.
“Conducting Educational Puppetry Workshops in India as a Fulbright Program Specialist,” Puppetry Guild of Greater New York, May 20, 2015.
“Educational Puppetry and the K-12 Indian Curriculum,” Fulbright Program Specialist, conducted workshops in five cities in India, January 31-March 13, 2015.
“Exploring the Puppetry Arts,” in affiliation with Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, with New York City Chinatown Senior Center, March18-mid- June, 2015.
“International Education: Successful Strategies to Support your Host Institutions,” 38th Annual Fulbright Association Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, November l3, 2015
“Your Elevator Speech: How to Pitch Yourself as an Educational Puppeteer,” National Puppetry Festival, University of Connecticut, August l5, 2015
“Puppetry as a Pedagogical Tool----puppeteers and their work,” Northeast Regional Puppetry Festival Homecoming, Rhinebeck, New York, September 5, 2014.
“Why School Administrators and Classroom Teachers Should Hire Puppeteers to help Students Strengthen their Academic skills,” UNIMA-China, First Nanchong, China Puppet Art Week, June 3-12, 2014.
“Puppet Power 2013: The Fearless Face of Puppetry: The Challenge For Educational Puppeteers,” Calgary, British Columbia, Canada, March 9-11, 2013.
“Bringing the Literacy Curriculum Alive Through Puppets, while meeting the National Common Core Curriculum Standards,” Professional Day for the Teaching Artists and Therapist, Puppeteers of America, August 6, 2013.
“Puppetry as a Pedagogical Tool----puppeteers and their work,” University of Connecticut, Puppetry Arts Program in collaboration with the Ballard Museum and Institute, Storrs, Connecticut, April 18, 2012.
“Using Puppets to Reinforce Oral Communication Skills in K-6 Curriculum,” Puppeteers of America Conference, Professional Day for the Teaching Artist and Therapist, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, July 12, 2011.
“How To Be a Puppeteer in the Schools,” and “Strategies that Work for Puppeteers Who want to Work in Schools and Educational Settings,” Puppeteers of America Conference, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, July 17, 2009.
“10 Reasons Why Careers in Arts Administration or Non-Profit Management May be Right for You,” Simmons College Career Day, June 8, 2007; Scholastic Art & Writing Conference, New York, NY, June 9, 2006;
“Careers in the Arts: Puppeteer,” High School GED Candidates at Youth Fair Chance Phipps West Farms Career Center, Bronx, NY, November 20, 2005;
“How To Integrate the Visual and Performing Arts into the High School Curriculum,” New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, NJ, January l4, 2004;
“Puppetry Strategies to Stimulate Reading in Pre K-Grade 3: Adaptation of ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle,” New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, NJ, January 11, 2003;
“Revitalizing Learning Through Art: The Art Teacher and the Establishment, “ Board of Jewish Education of Greater NY Conference for Art Educators, NY, NY, May 8, 1996;
“Three C’s of Arts Education Accountability within the Education Reform Movement,” Getty Center for Education in the Arts National Conference, Los Angeles, CA, January 12, 1995;
“Strategies to Strengthen Support For Your Arts Programs,” Chamber Music America National Conference, NY, NY, January 17, 1994;
“Arts Education and the 21st Century American Economy,“ American Council for the Arts, Atlanta, GA, l994;
“Arts Education Assessment and Student Achievement,” American Council for the Arts National Conference, Kentucky Center for the Arts, Lexington, KY, l992
“The Role of Arts Education in Creating an Educated Workforce: Why the Business Community Should Support Arts Education,” New Orchestra of Westchester, Manhattanville College, Purchase, NY, November 12, 1992; Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DODDS) Weisbaden, Germany, “Status of Arts Education in US, ”January, l991, March, 1993. (Keynote)
“Puppetry in the Curriculum, K-12,” Children’s Castle, Tokyo, Japan, and repeated workshops in 5 cities in Japan, July, l988.
“How the Business and Foundation Community Can Support Arts Programs, Arts & Business Council National Conference, New York, NY, October 25, 1990; “Puppetry in the Curriculum, K-12,” Children’s Castle, Tokyo, Japan, and repeated workshops in 5 cities in Japan, July, l988;
“Public Relations Skills for Art Educators,” National Art Education Association, Detroit, MI, April 1983.
“Promoting a School/Community Arts Program,” National Art Education Association, New York, NY, 1982.
”The Arts Educator In a Media-Oriented Society: Developing Public Relations Skills, New Jersey State Department of Education Conference, Princeton, NJ, March 17, 1982.
“Critical Issues in Arts Education,” Arts Educators of New Jersey, June 1982.
“Gaining and Maintaining Support for School Arts Programs,” National Art Education Association, Chicago, IL, April 1981.
“Comprehensive Arts Program Planning and Evaluation at the State and Local Level,” National Art Education Association, Atlanta, GA, April 1980.
“Integrating the Arts into the K-12 Curriculum,” New Jersey Education Association Conference, Atlantic City, NJ, November 11, 1980
“Creative Puppetry in the Classroom,” Art Educators of New Jersey Conference, Kean College, Hillside, NJ, l983.
“Youth Art Month: An Opportunity to Gain Support for Art in Schools,” National Art Education Association National Conference, Detroit, Michigan, l983.
“The Arts as an Effective Medium to promote Involvement in and Support of Religious Institutions,” National Clown, Mime, Puppet, Dance Ministry, June 1981 and June 1982.
“Puppets in the Curriculum,” A Showcase of Educational Puppetry, Educational Puppetry Day, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, June 7, 1980.

Publications and selected articles

“Making the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden: A Conversation with Martin Friedman,” in Landscapes for Art: Contemporary Sculpture Parks, edited by Glenn Harper and Twylene Moyer, International Sculpture Center, 2008
“Cultural After-School Adventure Programs,” Brooklyn Arts Council, Volume I-2006; Volume II-2007; Volume III-2008; Volume IV-2009.
“CASA, A Dynamic Opportunity to Bring Together Brooklyn’s Greatest Resources----its Youth, its Artists and its Schools,” Brooklyn Arts Council, Summer, 2006.
“Puppetry, Television and Basic Skills,” in Puppetry in Education and Therapy: Unlocking doors to the mind and heart, “ edited by Matthew Bernier and Judith O’Hare, Indiana: Authorhouse, 2005.
“Vocational Education and Arts Education: An Important Synergy,” with Fred G. Burke, Ph.D., National Center for Research in Vocational Education, University of California at Berkeley, Centerfocus, Number 17/April l997.
“Arts Education Means Business,” Education Week, Commentary: Volume XIII, Number 39, June 22, 1994.
“Arts Education Advocacy: Document the Successes,” in Arts in Education Primer, National Assembly of State Arts, “ Spring, 1992.
“From the Director of Arts Partners,” New York City Department of Education, 12 newsletters, l983-1990.
“Arts Education: The EIC Story,” New Jersey Department of Education, Volume 7/No. 5, April 1981.
“How to be a Puppeteer in Schools,” in The Puppetry Journal, Part I: Winter, 1986; Part II: Spring 1987.
“A Challenge To Become Involved,” Art Education (Publication of National Art Education Association), November 1985.
“Cultural Organizations as Educational Resources,” “Model School/Community Programs,” “How To Write Grant Proposals and Funding Sources for School Arts Programs,” “School Cultural Program Partnerships,” “Planning Artists’ Long and Short Term Residencies to Support School Arts Programs,” “Staff Development: Accent on Arts as an Educational Tool to Strengthen Basic Skills,” “Developing Leadership Teams,” “Comprehensive Arts Education Programs,” “Effective Public Relations for Arts Educators,” New Jersey State Department of Education, 1980-1983.
“Giant Puppets,” in School Arts Magazine, June, l978. Barnard Alumnae Magazine, “Giant Puppets,” in Barnard Alumnae Magazine, June l977.
“Puppetry in the Curriculum,” New Jersey State Department of Education, l980.
“Puppetry in Education: Fascinating Approaches for Rapid Learning, Sesame Street’s Muppets: Make-Believe with a Core of Reality ” with Children’s Television Workshop, The Puppetry Journal, Part I, September-October 1981; Part II, November-December, 1981.
“Shadow Puppetry and the Overhead Projector,” March/April, 1980, “Flash Cards and Basic Reading Skills,” November/December, l981, “Brainstorming,” January/February 1982, “ Story Creation Strategies,” March/April, 1985, Puppetry in Education News

Adjunct Faculty Appointments in Education, Arts Education and Puppetry

Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, September-October 2012 (Fulbright Program Specialist)
UNIMA-Spain, Tolosa University, July 2011;
St. John’s University, Graduate School of Education, Queens, NY, January-June 1998;
Bank Street College of Education, Graduate School of Education, New York, NY, February 1975-June 1983;
Fairfield University, Graduate School for Education, Fairfield, CT, September, 1975-June, 1978;
College of New Rochelle, Department of Education, New Rochelle, NY, September-June 1977;
Rutgers University, Graduate School of Education, New Brunswick, NJ and Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ with The Center for Open Education, June-August 1973-1975;
New School University, Arts & Humanities Department, New York, NY, September 1975-August 1978;
Adelphi University, Graduate School for Education, Garden City, NY, July-August 1976.

Contact Information

Phone: (646) 241-9595

Email: csterling646@gmail.com