Artsconnection-Project Arts


		Project ARTS (Art Restoration Throughout the Schools) is a New York City Board of Education initiative designed to return the arts to the public schools. We tailor each Project Arts program to meet the educational needs and goals of our partner schools. The New York State Learning Standards for the Arts provide a framework for all Project Arts programs and teachers benefit from professional development opportunities built into every program. As with all of our programs, we want teachers and artists to have sufficient time to work together to plan the residency, reflect on student learning, and evaluate the outcomes. Samples of ArtsConnection's Project Arts Programs for 2000-2001 Pre-K - Grade 2 The early childhood programs in dance emphasize exploration and kinesthetic learning. In Theater Second-graders at PS 1 in Brooklyn listened to and acted our Puerto Rican folktales. They learned about the beginning, middle, and end of stories, and how storytellers make their stories come to life. Students learned to fully use their bodies and voices to express themselves and created their own stories. In Music At PS 6 in Manhattan, students invented sounds with their mouths, bodies, and percussion instruments, learned to sing an African chant and play the melody on xylophones. Grade 3 - Grade 6 The upper elementary programs may align with curriculum areas chosen by classroom teachers. The emphasis is on building skills in an art form and general learning skills that support literacy, including observation, listening, cooperation, recognizing patterns, and reproducing sequences. In Theater Students at PS 49 in the Bronx learned how plays are constructed, wrote their own plays, and performed a staged reading. In Visual Arts Students at PS 130 in Brooklyn designed and produced a mural based on Caribbean animal imagery and Haitian flags. Junior High - High School The junior high and high school programs respond to a wide variety of schools' needs in specific subject areas. Many programs provide opportunities for applied learning experiences. In Media Arts Students at Taft High School in the Bronx completed their own video public service announcements about such topics as gang violence and parent/teen relationships. In Dance At IS 45 in Manhattan, eighth graders learned about the cultures of Puerto Rico, Liberia, Haiti, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic through dance and music. Seventh graders were introduced to traditional and contemporary African dances and rhythms. Family Events Family events on weekends or evenings engage parents and caregivers in workshops and performances, allowing them to learn along with their children. For example, at PS 130 in Brooklyn, parents and children took part in improvisational theater workshops, and students performed for their parents during that school's Family Night.