Arts in the Schools

Through this project students will create their own paper, a variety of books in different styles and express themselves through creation, color and storytelling. This project will provide students an opportunity to tell their story while working with their hands through an aesthetic that offers a sensory experience. This project will provide students an arts opportunity that builds their confidence and coping skills by giving them a new creative outlet. The goal is to provide arts access and a creative and tactile arts outlet to students that may not usually have the opportunity to participate in this kind of arts opportunity. Through this project we hope to build teamwork, communication skills and confidence while providing a creative outlet that will give our students an opportunity for self-expression. Students will also be taught that the items they create can also be made in the future on their own time if they are interested in continuing to practice this art form. They will be taught that arts are more accessible than we sometimes realize and we can utilize recycled paper and other materials to build books and create other tangible art pieces. The goal of this project is to create access to exciting, tangible and new affordable arts and creative expression opportunities for students while building their confidence and coping skills while working as a team. We hope to see positive change in student confidence and understanding of the arts, happiness/coping skills and team work skills. Students will be given a simple questionnaire with a five-point scale before the grant project has begun and also after the grant program and showcase is completed so as to see possible growth areas. Staff will administer the questionnaires to the students before the project begins and also after the grant showcase at The Goodness Coffee House and SEED program sharing opportunity. Staff will document the starting and ending results from the questionnaires and graph the progress.