2013-370 Arts - Chapel Hill Carrboro Children's Musum 2013 Spring Art Grant Agreement $1,500 (2)

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Kidzu Children's Museum 2013-2014 OCAC General Support Application Narrative 5) Description of 2013-14 Specific Uses of General Support Grant funds–include location,date,artists involved, and explain how this activity helps you fulfill your mission or goals. Include information concerning whether you have undertaken similar activities in the past. In 2013-2014,we plan to substantially expand the infusion of community artists and collaborative art-making into our institution,building upon programming,partnerships,and lessons learned from our OCAC-funded"Building Community through Mosaic"initiative,which we have implemented over the past 3 years. We will continue our emphasis on serving diverse members of our community,including children and families in need. Our program plan includes three primary components: 1) Sustain Kidzu's off-site"Building Community through Mosaic"Outreach Program,offering children in need the opportunity to make art alongside a professional artist from our community. 2) Pilot a new Artist-in-Residence Program on-site at Kidzu's"Launch Pad"facility at University Mall. 3) Engage a group of local artists and arts professionals in planning the expansion of Kidzu's Artist Outreach Program and Artist-in-Residence Program to include a growing roster of diverse community artists. These activities are designed to fulfill a series of specific goals related to creative education at Kidzu,which include: • Provide Creative Inspiration:Provide an environment that inspires children and their adult companions to exercise creativity. Promote adults and children serving as creative inspiration to one another. • Promote Creative Expression:Encourage the development of creative self-expression skills in multiple modalities such as art,drama,writing,oral language,etc. • Nurture Creative Thinking&Problem-Solving:Encourage children to practice creative thinking and problem- solving skills in all areas of life. • Foster Imagination:Encourage imagination,pretending,role-playing,and dramatic play. • Model Creative Education:Serve as an environment that models best practices in creative education. These educational goals were developed in response to a year-long,comprehensive needs assessment reviewing the most pressing current and emerging needs of children and families in our region that can be effectively addressed by Kidzu Children's Museum. We also examined the most urgent needs faced by children and families throughout our state, nation,and around the world to gain insights into the challenges faced in our community and to learn how other communities effectively address these needs.The needs identified during this review are: 1. The Disappearance of Play--A Need for More Play in Children's Lives 2. 21"Century Learning--A Growing Need for Creativity and Other 21"Century Skills 3. A Need to Support Fundamental Cognitive Skills&Nurture the"Whole Child" 4. Achievement Gaps--Strategies Needed to Address Achievement&Opportunity Gaps for Disadvantaged Children 5. Early Learning—A Need for Affordable,Accessible,High-Quality Early Learning Environments 6. Natural Learning—A Need for Environments That Combat Threats to Child Health&Connect Children with Nature 7. Family Learning—A Need to Support Parents&Families:Children's First and Most Important Teachers 8. Schools as Partners--Supporting&Complementing Schools,Preschools,and Other Formal Learning Settings 9. Community Connections--Building Bridges Between Our Community and Its Children and Families 10. Play That Works--Doing What Works for Our Children,Families,Community,and the Children's Museum Field This 250+page needs assessment forms the basis of our educational planning for our museum. The activities undertaken in Kidzu's"Convening Community through the Arts"initiative will play a vital role in ensuring that our museum effectively addresses the most urgent educational needs of our community and fulfills the educational goals we have established. Each of these activities is described in greater detail below. Arts Outreach Program--Activity Description In 2013-14,we plan to maintain our very successful'"Building Community through Mosaic"program,partnering with local artist Jeannette Brossart to offer 6 off-site programs. These workshops will engage children in need in working with Ms.Brossart and Kidzu staff to create mosaics from recycled glass tiles.The mosaics will eventually be incorporated into Kidzu's new facility atop the Wallace Plaza. We will also offer a related take-home paper mosaic activity. This program will integrate art,math,history,and hands-on learning. We anticipate collaborating with established partners including:Orange County Head Start(3 classrooms),the Hargraves Center(1 workshop),El Centro Hispano(1 workshop),and the UNC Hospital School(where we plan to continue our bedside program facilitated by teachers). In Spring 2014,we anticipate serving 100 children via this program and displaying their creations at a Free Sunday event at the museum. Ms.Brossart will also provide several hours of consultation and/or training to enhance the capacity of Kidzu staff and volunteers to implement related arts outreach programs in the future. r For instance,in 2012-2013,our average program ratings from more than 160 teachers,parents,and administrators were 4.5/5 or"very to extremely"true that this program was"educationally valuable"and enjoyed by participating children. 2