Connecticut Humanties Council Funds Aldrich Education Program
March, 2007The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum has been awarded a $5,250.00 grant by the Connecticut Humanities Council to fund the Art & Writing Institute, a professional development symposium focused on aiding teachers in improving literacy, critical thinking, and writing skills among K through 12 students.
Laura Kaufman, museum educator: school & teacher programs, comments, “We are so pleased to receive this critical funding for the Art & Writing Institute. The Council has generously embraced an essential element of The Aldrich’s mission, to be a world-class innovator of museum education programs, by supporting our exploration of ways in which the visual arts can enhance writing and communication skills in the classroom.”
The two-day symposium will take place on Friday, July 27, and Saturday, July 28, in the Museum galleries and Education Center. The fee is $185.00 for participants who register before May 15; $225.00 after May 15. Two scholarships are available for educators demonstrating sufficient need. CEU’s are available. For more information or to register please contact Laura Kaufman at 203.438.4519 or lkaufman@aldrichart.org.
The Art & Writing Institute employs hands-on activities and discussion-intensive workshops to focus on how teachers can utilize the visual arts to enhance their students’ writing skills. Topics will include museum/school collaborations, photography and poetry, meeting literacy goals through creating comic books, writing personal essays, and connecting thinking and writing about art to everyday life. The 2007 seminar will feature, What Is Basic Education Now? New Languages, New Literacies, a keynote address and workshop by Susan Marcus, an experienced researcher, educator and designer/writer.
Among her many achievements, Marcus co-founded Learning About Learning Educational Foundation, a nationally-recognized organization whose research focused on individuality, creativity, media and play; masterminded The LAL Lab School, funded by the NEA and acknowledged as a national model for learning through the arts; and produced Imagination Works, a line of interactive products for the retail market, as well as interactive programs and exhibitions for children, parents and educators. Additionally, Marcus is the co-author of two books as well as several articles on arts and media. Most recently, she helped to establish FoundryMedia LLC.
The Connecticut Humanities Council (CHC) is a statewide non-profit institution located in Middletown that focuses on two time-honored traditions in the humanities—reflective readingof literature and exploration of history. CHC reading programs like Motheread/Fatheread and Book Voyagers help parents and children strengthen family bonds by reading together, while encouraging children to become lifelong, avid readers on their own. CHC heritage programs, often conducted in partnership with state and regional cultural organizations, fund exhibits, walking tours, cultural festivals, and community humanities projects that explore Connecticut’s diverse local heritage, as well as American and world history. This year, the CHC will produce or fund more than $2 million in cultural programming that enriches the lives of residents and visitors statewide. For more information on the Connecticut Humanities Council and its programs, please visit www.ctculture.org or call (860) 685-2260.
