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On behalf of the MetLife Foundation, the National Guild has awarded nine grants totaling $258,850 to the following 11 members to support exemplary community school/public school arts education partnerships during the 2006-2007 school year and fall 2007 semester:
By partnering with 2 public schools, the Conservatory will offer string instruction to 120 students aged 8-11. This partnership will provide professional music education to address local, state and national music curriculum standards. Over the course of 28-weeks, this project will affect the public schools by providing a model of comprehensive music education, aiding students on state mandated tests in music and other areas and provide students with the opportunity to attend a school emphasizing academics and the arts.
The Music Partners project will provide musical instruction, education and access in 21 partnering public schools. Serving 3,020 students in grades pre-K-8, this partnership intends to improve self-esteem, problem solving, creative thinking, individual responsibility, and sociability amongst students. The project will advance the cause of arts education by showing administrators, funders, politicians, parents and the community the benefits of arts education.
The Urban Arts Program partnership provides educational and arts-based programs for at-risk youth in a safe, supportive and structured environment. This multi-disciplinary project will reach 2,172 students aged 5-18 in 7 partnering public schools located in low-income areas of St. Louis. COCA offers curricula specific to each stage of child development. This 34-week project will help students improve academic and problem-solving skills, positively impact self-esteem and self-discipline through artistic expression and increase parental involvement and community pride.
This partnership provides students with development tools that will help them become successful and engaged members of the arts. Through skilled instruction, participation and presentation, this multimedia arts initiative will reach 50 at-risk students aged 15-19 attending San Francisco’s Downtown High School. The curriculum includes instruction in digital media, screenwriting, story development and graphic design. The project aims to increase students’ employability in a highly competitive and technologically advanced world. Students will become aware of the ways in which art can be used to present issues, influence attitudes and opinions and celebrate culture and identity.
This theater arts project will enhance reading comprehension for 300 students attending the Bryant-Webster K-8 Dual Language School. During the 27 week residency, K-2 graders will be taught reading comprehension and story structure by adapting nursery rhymes and fables for small in-class performances. Students in grades 3-5 will adapt folktales and myths for short in-class performances. The 7-8 graders will adapt stories for the stage as well as create original stories for performance. The performance will support the school’s curriculum by incorporating reading, comprehension, interpretation, writing and performing. The project aims to create a lifelong appreciation and desire within the student body of how to apply the theatre arts in the classroom to promote learning.
The Spring into Strings partnership provides high-quality stringed instrument instruction to students in inner-city Boston public schools. The curriculum will include Level I-II violin instruction, string orchestra and performance opportunities per Boston and Massachusetts curriculum frameworks. This project will expand upon comprehensive music education for 1,426 students aged 9-10 in 3 partnering public schools. The goal of the partnership is to reach underserved children with limited access to music instruction and enhance the overall education of the student population.
This project aims to strengthen academic performance by inspiring underserved students to think, learn, and express themselves through the arts. With emphasis on drama, dance and the visual arts, 220 students in the 9th and 10th grade will come to understand the value of team work, communication and professionalism. Through its partnership with the Lower Manhattan Arts Academy, the Henry Street Settlement aims to build self-esteem and positive social skills. Students will also develop an understanding of the principals and elements of art, deepen their expressive and critical faculties, hone their art skills, and cultivate their imaginations.
The Pathways to Performance Initiative will support students’ highest level of artistic and academic achievement through an innovative music enrichment program. The initiative focuses on increased retention of students, greater engagement of parents in their children’s music education, and enhanced professional development. Partnering with 2 public schools, this project will serve 380 students in grades K-5. The project aims to help students develop basic skills in creating, performing, listening and responding to music over the course of 3 years. Participating students have been shown to perform at higher levels in attendance, social skills, and academic achievement.
This partnership will integrate social studies and language arts curriculums with the performing arts through a program of drama, dance, and music. By partnering with 2 public schools, the Marsh Youth Theater will introduce 450 students aged 5-11 to all aspects of theater making. Using multicultural art forms, emphasis will be placed on the creation of new works tailored for the special needs of young performers. Through the application of a creative and interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning, students will gain a deeper appreciation and knowledge of literature, history, social studies and cultural awareness.
This 24-week project will support artist residencies at 2 public K-8 schools in South Philadelphia for 325 students. Teaching artists and classroom teachers will work together to develop a curriculum where visual arts studies are integrated with reading, writing, science and social studies. By creating visual representations on topics such as seasons, hibernation and multiculturalism, students will be prepared to demonstrate sensitivity toward and respect for the diversity that surrounds them. The project aims to foster comprehension, critical analysis, interpretation, enjoyment, and self-discovery.
The Learning through Dance project integrates dance into language arts and global studies curriculums to increase students’ self-expression and assurance. In partnership with P.S. 149 in South Brooklyn, Young Dancers in Repertory will lead a 24-week dance residency for 250 3rd graders. Students will explore the dance of different cultures and make observations and comparisons. These activities build social skills, self esteem and increase appreciation of multi-cultural dance. The community will benefit from the respect and positive thinking generated amongst neighborhood children.
