A Publication of the Region 2 Arts Council Vol. 4 No. 2 Apr/May '00
Reading, Math and the Arts:
There's More to the Basics Than Some People Think
Guest Commentary
by Louise Mengelkoch
This fall, a new public school for children in grades K-8 will open in Bemidji. The goals of this school--Schoolcraft Learning Community--are simple: to produce students who are curious about their natural environment; who develop compassion for others; and who become creative individuals. Based on those goals, it is our belief that the arts are just as "basic" as reading or math.
Given where we live, our emphasis on the natural environment is easy to understand. Our emphasis on compassion includes community service, studying other cultures and at least one language other than English. This too seems obvious, even though few schools seem committed to doing it. But there are strong forces working against placing importance on creativity, or the arts.
There is an underlying assumption that the arts are non-essentials. If students don't "get" reading or math, the solution is usually to "increase the dosage." All too seldom do schools use the arts as core subjects confident that a)skills in music, visual arts, drama and creative writing are also basic, and b) reading and math are naturally learned through the arts.
Imagine, for example, the basic skills required for students to put on a play. They must read (and possibly write) a script, memorize lines, perhaps sing and dance (which would require reading music), sew costumes, build sets, write programs and advertisements, print tickets, sell them, meet deadlines, collect money and count it, pay expenses. Those are skills that go way beyond the basics, but certainly include them.The vision we have for Schoolcraft students is this: we'd like to see our students with such powerful imaginations that they turn off the television and instead pick up a violin or a paintbrush or a script. We hope to provide the environment conducive to that mindset; the right combination of stimulation and quiet, contemplative spaces that get the creative juice flowing.
We look forward to this wonderful opportunity and to working on this vision in collaboration with artists, writers and musicians in the Bemidji area. You are the spirit of this community. You shape our imaginations. You will be hearing more from us soon.
Louise Mengelkoch is the chairperson of the board of directors of
Schoolcraft Learning Community,
a charter school scheduled to open in the fall of 2000 at
Lac du Bois (French Village) at Concordia Language Villages.
Their website is www.schoolcraft.org.
School/Community Arts Partnership
A little-known opportunity exists to help your community build partnerships between schools and the arts. With the support of Region 2 Arts Council, a consultant skilled in this topic can help partnerships begin and evolve, thereby building a stronger communities. Kelliher educator Rose Heim has been an instrumental leader in bringing the arts into every aspect of her community. “I have coordinated these partnerships in my own school district for twenty years,” says Heim. “During that time, a model has been developed and now I am available through R2AC to share it with other school districts.”
Once a community is awarded this consultantcy, Heim works with a planning team made up of school personnel and community members. The process involves identifying strengths and needs, brainstorming possibilities and working to design an art experience. “It is centered around community identity,” adds Heim. “It involves students, artists and the whole community.” Heim then assists the team in writing grant proposals to fund the arts project.
“The original intent of this consultantcy was to encourage more schools to submit Arts in Education grants to the Council,” says R2AC Executive Director, Sandy Kaul. “Results have been greater than that—giving communities insight into the value of these partnerships and giving them a headstart in pursuing them.”
“School/community arts partnerships are a win/win situation for everyone.” says Heim. “They connect individuals to the arts for the first time, enhance non-arts curriculum, build community pride, introduce new art forms, highlight art programs, create community ‘families,’ build community support for the arts, and organize a planning team that can initiate future partnerships.”
If you would like to learn more about school/community arts partnerships, contact Sandy Kaul at R2AC Offices.
