2012-303 EDC-Arts - McDougle Middle School PTA Spring 2012 Grassroots Arts Awards $1,000

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2012-13 Arts in Education Application — Page Two I. Arts Program Application Narrative A. School Profile McDougle Middle School is in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district, with 679 students, and serving grades 6 to 8. Its population is ethnically and academically diverse, with students from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds. The demographic composition for the 2011-12 school year is as follows: Male Female African-American 35 43 Asian 15 19 Hispanic 63 48 Multiracial 34 37 Native American 2 2 White 217 164 Total 366 313 Given the demographic and socio-economic composition of our school, a large percentage of our students would benefit greatly from experiencing a diverse cultural arts program as they may otherwise have few to no opportunities to do so outside the school context. The struggling economy, declining resources allocated to the arts, as well as increasingly limited fundraising opportunities make it necessary for the McDougle Middle PTA to seek outside funding to support the arts in our school. As our budget shows, funds allocated to Cultural Arts have declined dramatically over the last few years. We are seeking funding to support Phillip Shabazz, 8th Grade Poet in Residence. MMS PTA has traditionally funded this residency alone but can no longer do so. B. School's Arts Program McDougle Middle remains strongly committed to supporting the arts, despite budgetary constraints. To enhance and complement the core curriculum, the PTA has sponsored or supported residencies and invited performers in coordination with teaching staff. During the 2011-12 school year, as in years past, the PTA fully funded the annual Poetry Residency for 8th graders with poet Phillip Shabazz. In addition, speakers were invited to present on the Holocaust. It is our hope that this rich tradition continue for future 8th graders with the support of the Orange County Arts Commission, and that we revive our 2012-13 cultural arts offerings with additional performances. MMS PTA is considering the addition of a second artist in residence, Mike Wiley in the Spring, subject to securing funds. C. Proposed Uses of Grant Funds. We are seeking matching funds for the following annual Poetry Residency, which will take place on school premises in Fall 2012-2013. OCAC grant funds will cover part of the artist fees. Mr. Shabazz will conduct two 1-week workshops for 8th graders in October 2012. This residency is coordinated by Ms. Tina Atack and Mr. John Stevens, 8th Grade English Language Arts teachers. Phillip Shabazz is a local poet, author and artist. He conducts creative writing and poetry workshops across the state and has taught at more than 300 schools, conferences and community centers. Currently, he is a poet-in-the-schools of North Carolina.