Inspiring Yukon Students
Artist in the School provides high quality, engaging and culturally diverse programming in schools across the territory. Over the course of the 2025-26 school year 40 artists and arts groups travelled the Yukon to deliver over 3,500 arts encounters to elementary and secondary school students.
Meet our artists › View our programs ›
Featured Artist
Rhoda Merkel
Rhoda was born and raised in the Yukon, is a member of the Tahltan Nation and is a passionate First Nation culture promoter, educator and artist. She has a studio in Atlin, B.C., where you can find her sewing, beading, painting, and moose tufting, writing, or preparing for school teaching… Learn more ›
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Featured Program
Hip Hop & House Dance Workshop with Violetta Umanes
With expertise in street styles and a focus on dance therapy, this program offers dynamic and creative dance instruction for all levels. The approach combines technical mastery with the therapeutic benefits of movement, creating a space for personal expression, healing, and growth. Whether mastering fundamentals or exploring the deeper connections between mind and body, participants will find a supportive environment that encourages their journey.
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Community School Touring Program
The Community School Touring Program sends performance artists to every Yukon community school. The goal of this program is to expose children to types of performance art they may not regularly encounter, with preference given to acts that have an educational component. CSTP impacts hundreds of students each year and provides important and inspiring opportunities for youth in Yukon communities.
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About Artist in the School
The Artist in the School program (AIS) provides Yukon school children with the opportunity to be instructed and inspired by practicing artists and to learn to work with a variety of art forms and media. It is available to all Yukon elementary and secondary schools, including 21 schools in Whitehorse and 14 in the communities.
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