When professional teaching artists meet one-on-one with students in the classroom, sparks of insight and creativity tend to fly! Such was certainly the case when our Artists in the Schools program brought the lessons of flight vibrantly to life for dozens of Sonoma County second and third graders. Presented in partnership with Pacific Coast Air Museum, students made their own aerodynamic paper airplanes, thrilled to the live theater production of the
Wright Brothers Musical Comedy, and actually sat in the cockpit of a T-37 Dragonfly Tweety!
“Thank you for teaching about weight, thrust, drag and lift, to make a plane fly,” said one student. “I learned that the Wright Brothers never gave up until they did it; they flew a plane for 12 whole seconds!”
The Artists in the Schools program places teaching artists into local classrooms for in-depth mini-residencies connected to the Center’s school shows. Students may learn basic acrobatic techniques, hear and play the music of a particular culture, engage in dance and movement activities, or participate in theatrical exercises. By combining hands-on experimentation with theory and using the arts as a dynamic tool for teaching, students comprehend lessons more deeply and retain information longer.
2011-2012 Artists in the Schools Programs
| Four Winds: Native American Culture, Dance & Art (sold out) | Grades 3-4 |
| Golden Dragon Acrobats: Social Studies & Art (sold out) | Grades 6-8 |
| Spirit of Uganda: Culture & Percussion | Grades 4-5 |
| Cuentos del Arbol: Literacy & Storytelling (sold out) | Grades 2-3 |
To learn more about our Artists in the Schools program please email Tracy Sawyer, Arts & Outreach Programs Manager, or call 707.527.7006, ext. 154.
