Black Teaching Artist Lab
Offerings Overview
Black Teaching Artist Lab (BTAL) provides a set of virtual and in-person workshops, curriculum design services, research initiatives, interviews, and speaking engagements designed to support organizations, educators, teaching artists, and the wider public . All offerings are facilitated by founder Melissa Parke and/or a trained BTAL teaching artist, each with extensive experience in facilitation, coaching, project design, and management.
Curriculum Design
This is ideal for school administrators, teaching artist organizations, and cultural organizations looking to expand and update their existing curriculums with an Afrocentric Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) lens.
BTAL will develop a single training seminar (either a live, virtual workshop or video recording) that expands upon existing curriculums with an Afrocentric SEL lens. Directly facilitated by Melissa Parke, this offering will help schools and organizations to develop curriculums that are more reflective of their Black teachers and more responsive to the needs of their Black learners.
Curriculum Design
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$200
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$1000
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$1000
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$1000
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$1000
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$1000
Afrocentric SEL Virtual Workshops
Through Zoom, BTAL offers 90-120 -long virtual workshops. These offerings include BTAL’s Afrocentric SEL Overview workshop and single competency workshops. These workshops are open to all individuals (including those who do not identify as BIPOC or work as teaching artists) and are led by a BTAL trained teaching artist. Additionally, we offer customizable, virtual workshops for partnering teaching artist organizations.
Afrocentric SEL Virtual Workshops
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$100
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$75
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$75
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$75
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$75
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$75
Speaking Engagement
Speaking engagement offerings are done by Black Teaching Artist Lab founder, Melissa Parke, who has over 4+ years experience in speaking with diverse crowds on topics such as Arts education, Black culture, equality and social politics.
Speaking Engagement
Hourly Rate :
Keynote (60–75 min): $150–$200
Panel Participation: $100–$150
Research Projects
Black Teaching Artist Lab is currently developing a set of research projects designed to deepen understanding of the experiences, needs, and sociocultural factors that shape the lives of Black individuals and communities.
Black Teaching Artist Lab is currently working on a series of research initiatives that explore the experiences, needs, and sociocultural factors impacting Black artists, educators, and youth across the United States.
Black Teaching Artist Lab is currently working on a set of in-depth research projects and is actively seeking collaborators, scholars, and community partners interested in supporting this work.
Ethnographic Research
Interview
Black Teaching Artist Lab offers interview features led by our founder, Melissa Parke, who brings over four years of experience interviewing locally based artists and creative entrepreneurs in New York City. Her work centers the stories, cultural impact, and artistic practices of Black-identifying and community-rooted creators—aligning with BTAL’s mission to uplift the voices and experiences of Black teaching artists and cultural workers.
Melissa’s background includes writing for platforms such as TopShelf Reggae, Teaching Artist Guild, Tribes, and New York City Roundtable. Her interests in underground hip-hop, reggae, community arts spaces, food culture, and emerging local establishments inform her holistic approach to storytelling and cultural documentation.
Through this offering, artists and local businesses will receive:
A thoughtfully crafted 1,500–2,000-word feature article highlighting their work, artistic practice, or community impact
Publication on the Black Teaching Artist Lab website
Amplification through BTAL’s social media platforms and international mailing list, expanding visibility within arts, education, and cultural networks
Per Article:
$125–$250
Hourly Writing/Interview Rate: $40–$60/hr
We require that 50 percent of the total contract fee be paid prior to the start of the first workshop. The remaining 50 percent shall be paid once the contract is complete. Support letters from organizations, teaching artist statements, and examples of workshop descriptions are available upon request