Community Day School

I did the very first art projects with the kids at the Community Day School... It was harder than I thought on one hand, and on the other, it went really well. The kids are all going there as a last effort to get school credits before dropping out. As students go, they were pretty well behaved, considering these are the "difficult" kids. There were levels of participation, some were really into it, others felt intimidated and just gave up. This was good to see where they are at. Most of these kids are the tactile learners. I had to show them over and over what to do. This was a lightbulb moment for me. As they take away more and more of the hands on classes like art and music and shop, these kids really fall through the cracks of the education system. More than ever, I see the need for the program I am developing. Partnering with the community, and the Probation Department makes sense. Giving these kids a chance to explore their creative self expression is an incredible thing to watch. Their creativity amazed me. Most of them asked if they could make more than one of the projects. I had 3 helpers there going around the room with various supplies and offering assistance. Here are some of the things they made. I was really impressed with their creativity. Some of them were able to achieve the look of carved jade and flourite with the colors they used...
I am researching other art programs in communities around the country. If you know of an art program in your area that benefits kids, please post a link here!