Cheryl Lee, NYU SPS student and Director of Cultural Enrichment at the Shorecrest Preparatory School in St. Petersburg, Florida, recently developed a dance education partnership for middle school students after taking the course The Arts and Education: Designing Effective Programs (taught by Beth Vogel) . In this blog post, Lee describes her project in more detail and how it grew from an idea to a full-fledged program proposal which may be implemented in the near future. Congratulations, Cheryl!
“As my final assignment, I proposed the undertaking of a: Creative Learning Partnership: Shorecrest Preparatory School and Academy Prep of St. Petersburg. This venture is a Direct Learning Project for students enrolled at both academic schools. It is based upon the premise that dance training provides an artistic tool for students to develop physically and socially within the context of cultural enrichment. This project enhances an already established relationship between the two institutions and at the same time increases access to dance education while building bridges within the St. Petersburg community.
Dance training would be provided to middle school students at Academy Prep by Teaching Artists affiliated with Shorecrest Prep, assisted by Shorecrest Prep upper school students. Students of both institutions would create dance art & perform together. After an introductory workshop followed by weekly classes where students will focus on the technical vocabulary and dance training, the project would culminate in a joint performance. Students discover how to collaborate and communicate while developing personal skills and achieving improved health status. (photo: Shorecrest Prep students taking a dance class with Teaching Artist Emilee Dupre, NYU grad/Broadway veteran)
Upon my return to St. Petersburg, Florida after attending this course at NYU, I participated in graduation exercises at Shorecrest Prep. As incoming Chair of the Performing Arts Division of Shorecrest Prep’s Arts & Humanities Department, I shared a brief explanation of my Creative Learning Partnership proposal with our CFO and she suggested to me that there may be scholarship funds available to partially fund and launch my project; I have since submitted my NYU proposal for consideration, and I look forward to hearing the results soon. ”
Other courses in Arts Administration offered this summer through the Center for Applied Liberal Arts:
Financing Cultural Institutions: Strategies and Challenges