What enables young people at risk for delinquency to choose a more constructive path? Most likely it is finding something they are good at, that they enjoy doing, and that is seen as valuable by others. Art is often the answer.
- Linda Kreger Silverman, Ph.D (2004)
What to expect if you are a participating teacher:
• You will see new levels of classroom engagement.
• You will see an improvement with struggling students, who will become more motivated and focused through arts integration.
• You will see a sustained impact in your approach to teaching, by learning methods of using the arts as an instructional tool, to add creativity into classroom teaching strategies.
• You will gain a new perspective on your students, by having tapped into new ways of student learning.
• You will be able to effectively continue your work in arts integration with the tools you learn in your residency.
A few recent residencies:
• Actors’ Shakespeare Project – Camp Amesbury and Eliot Short Term Treatment; using drama techniques to address themes of revenge, justice & redemption.
• Community Music School of Springfield – Renaissance Program Hip Hop Retrospective – Westfield Detention, Terri Thomas, Pelletier & Worcester Secure; using Hip Hop to address the music industry, poetry writing and contemporary urban culture.
• Arts are Essential – Drumming – Goss 1 and Terri Thomas; using rhythm to address math, music and global awareness.
• Media Arts –New River Academy and RFK Girls; addressing media aesthetics, societal forces & developing student voices.
• Poetry – Goss II, Spectrum Girls and Eliot Short Term Treatment; using poetry to discuss artistic content and developing artistic discipline and personal revelations.
• Drama – Judge John J. Connelly Youth Center, Westfield Retention, Terri Thomas and Eliot Short Term Treatment; using drama to discuss character and social dilemmas.
• New programs coming on line:
• Cartooning to teach science standards.
• Poetry to discuss social studies standards
• Music to discuss business and contemporary cultures
• Visual Arts to teach science standards.