Kate
Berk

Coordinate the Students Are Free to Express (SAFE) Project, an arts-based, psychologically informed primary prevention curriculum serving 1st, 2nd, 9th, and 12th grade students in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Oversee and support a team of professional teaching artists delivering programming in theater, music, dance, and visual arts. Cultivate relationships with area arts organizations to strengthen program partnerships and expand community reach. Manage program logistics, track student engagement and outcomes, and organize celebrations that honor student creativity and progress.

Pioneered the first Ohio social prescribing working group by mobilizing a team of elite Cleveland institutions, including Cleveland Clinic, Holden Forests and Gardens, and Playhouse Square, through virtual symposiums. Dedicate 20+ hours per week to transforming the way residents connect with their communities through arts-based social prescribing. Also designed and built the collaborative's website: ohiosocialprescribingcollaborative.com.

Conduct outreach and onboarding with transition-aged youth enrolling in arts-based wellness supports. Complete intakes and assess needs related to mental health, access barriers, and social connection. Provide trauma-informed, strengths-based coaching via virtual platforms and coordinate referrals with community partners for culturally relevant, accessible engagement.

Provide individualized and semi-private coaching for participants of all ages and abilities, including those managing Parkinson's disease, chronic pain, and cancer. Choreographer for Akron Civic Theater's Creative Healthy Aging initiative in collaboration with Summa Health, creating performance opportunities for 20+ adult actors over age 55. Deliver virtual and in-person sessions in YMCAs, community centers, schools, parks, and in-home settings. Developed SEL-based ballet program as artist-in-residence at Cleveland School of the Arts.

Principal dancer and outreach lead with Ohio Contemporary Ballet for a decade, touring and performing both domestically and internationally. Led Moving Connections, movement-based wellness programs for 100+ older adults across four senior living communities, and WiggleWords, early literacy-through-movement for 300+ students across five public schools. Engaged in 15+ public speaking events for audiences of up to 500 people. Served as peer-elected Dancer Representative on the Board and acted as Spanish translator on two tours to Cuba with the Cleveland Foundation. Launched partnerships with Cleveland State University, Cleveland Clinic, Workshop of Wishes, and NASA. Established an HR committee that enacted policy changes promoting culturally aware practices, including allowing dancers to wear skin-tone tights and pointe shoes.

Coordinated 25+ community-facing programs and outreach initiatives in partnership with libraries, schools, senior facilities, cultural festivals, and municipal partners. Served as point of contact for eight partner organizations, scheduled 10+ events, and maintained strong communications through CRM platforms and email correspondence with 500+ families annually.

Orchestrated 20+ annual lecture demonstrations and performances annually, serving children, families, and older adults. Coordinated auditions, rehearsals, performances, communications, volunteers, and costumes. During tenure, dance department enrollment grew from fewer than 30 to 150+ students. Used movement as a platform to explore challenging social topics including racism, classism, and identity.