Project Grant

The measurable outcomes and intercultural learning goals for this project include: #1 Outcome: 365 children and youth experiencing poverty will cultivate positive intercultural attitudes, including respect, curiosity and empathy towards other cultures. #2 Outcome: 365 children and youth experiencing poverty will develop intercultural sensitivity and awareness, including the skills to cross ethnic and cultural boundaries to successfully participate in cultures other than their own. #3 Outcome: 365 children and youth experiencing poverty will increase their self-awareness, confidence, and positive social identities about one's own culture.; Access ; Learning ; Community Continuous evaluation: Project leader Alicia Peters, teaching artists, and art assistants will hold planning meetings prior to the launch of the program to implement the recommendations from the previous year and will hold weekly meetings to check in about what is working, what isn't working, how to make adjustments, and to develop immediate solutions to problems. Post-project assessments will delve into what was learned, what could be done better next year, and what needs to happen or change to continuously create an environment in which children will thrive. Evaluating Outcomes: When working with children, teaching artists and artist assistants will use verbal participant assessment questions and personal observations to measure outcomes. Sample questions to engage students in creative thinking, critiquing their work, and problem solving: 1. How did you come up with the idea for your project? 2. What was your favorite part of making this art? 3. What problems did you experience and how did you solve them? 4. How were you feeling when you created it? These assessment questions will be adapted to fit teens as well as adapted to fit other forms of art, including dance and theater. In addition, teaching artists and art assistants will design supportive environments that help teach intercultural harmony as well as being intentional about using "ah-ha" teaching moments. The evaluation information will be used to assess both the process and the outcomes: 1) Process data: was there adequate space, were there latecomers that disrupted the process, were there enough materials, what were the advantrages/disadvantages of mixing ages, were there enough art assistants, etc. 2) Outcome data: what made this experience meaningful, what did participants find challenging, what kinds of projects were more or less successful, etc. Evaluation methods include: 1) sign-in sheets to track participation rates and demographics 2) surveys to gain a deeper understanding of whether their experience was meaningful and what made it meaningful 3) assessment of completed artwork by art instructors and art assistants 4) observations of the level of energy, cooperation, and enjoyment being expressed by participants during and after the art experiences