Educational Arts Team

THE EDUCATIONAL ARTS TEAM USES PERFORMANCE AND VISUAL ARTS TO PROVIDE YOUNG PEOPLEWITH DEEP AND LONG LASTING EMOTIONAL AND ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT.OUR GUIDING PHILOSOPHY IS THAT THE ARTS ARE AN ESSENTIAL WAY TO INSPIRE YOUNG PEOPLE TO REALIZE ACADEMIC SUCCESS, INCREASE SELF-WORTH, STRENGTHEN CRITICAL SOCIAL SKILLS, AND CREATE A VISION OF A POSITIVE FUTURE.

CAMP LIBERTY:THOUGHOUT THE SUMMER, OVER 1000 YOUNG PEOPLE AGES 6 TO 15 PARTICIPATE IN A FULL RANGEOF PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO PROMOTE SOCIAL GROWTH IN A SAFE AND NURTURINGENVIRONMENT. IN OUR GREEN URBAN OASIS LOCATED INSIDE LIBERTY STATE PARK WE OFFER AVARIETY OF ACTIVITIES INCLUDING A CAMP-WIDE PERFORMANCE, AS WELL AS SPORTS, SING-A-LONGS, GARDENING, DANCE, ART, DRAMA AND SWIMMING. APPROXIMATELY 250 CAMPERS PER DAYARE SUPERVISED BUT ALLOWED TO EXPLORE THEIR OWN PERSONAL INTERESTS TO ENCOURAGE SELF DIRECTION AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. A FUNDAMENTAL COMPONENT OF CAMP LIBERTY IS TO ENCOURAGE SOCIAL INTERACTION WITHOUT ANY ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND DISTRACTIONS.THE TEEN PROGRAM, A COMPONENT OF CAMP LIBERTY, PROVIDES A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES ANDADVENTURES WITH A FOCUS ON TEACHING LEADERSHIP VALUES FOR 50 YOUNG PEOPLE.

IN SCHOOL WORKSHOPS:BRINGING LITERATURE TO LIFE IS THE KEY OBJECTIVE OF THIS VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM.FOR APPROXIMATELY 11,000 K - 8 STUDENTS EDUCATIONAL ARTS TRANSFORMS STORIES INTODYNAMIC AND ENGAGING ART, DRAMA AND WRITING ACTIVITIESOPPOSED TO TEACHING TO A TEST, OR TEACHING CHILDREN HIGH LEVEL SKILLS IN A RIGIDENVIRONMENT, THESE WORKSHOPS ENGAGE AND INVOLVE THE STUDENTS IN THE LITERATURE BYFOSTERING POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD READING AND WRITING WHILE DEVELOPING THEIMAGINATION, THE ABILITY TO COLLABORATE, AND IMPROVED PROBLEM SOLVINGSKILLS.THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN FOUND TO HAVE "MADE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN HOW WELLSTUDENTS DEVELOPED IN THE ACADEMIC, PROCOGNITIVE AND PRO-SOCIAL DOMAINS BYINDEPENDENT EVALUATORS WHO STUDIED RANDOMLY SELECTED TREATMEMT AND CONTROL GROUPS.THE 11,000 STUDENTS WHO WERE PART OF OUR THEATER INFUSION PROJECT OUT-PERFORMEDSTUDENTS WHO WERE NOT INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT ON STANDARDIZED LANGUAGE ARTS TESTING

FAMILY LITERACY EVENTS:A HANDS ON PROGRAM THAT GIVES PARENTS AND CHILDREN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE INVOLVEDTOGETHER IN A LITERACY LEARNING EVENT. THESE WORKSHOPS PROMOTE POSITIVE FAMILYINTERACTION AND LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR A LOVE OF READING AND LEARNING THROUGH SHAREDSTORYTELLING AND ART ACTIVITIES. OVER 500 CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES CREATED THEIROWN PUPPET SHOWS THIS PAST YEAR: MAKING PUPPETS AND SCENERY.PROFESSIONAL DEVLOPEMNT FOR TEACHERSSESSIONS THAT EQUIP TEACHERS WITH EASY-TO-USE STRATEGIES AND ENGAGING GROUPACTIVITIES THAT HELP STRUGGLING READERS AND WRITERS MORE APPRECIATE LITERATURE ANDGENERATE NARRATIVE, INFORMATIVE AND ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING.