September 12, 2022
Free summer program engages 3,000+ City Schools students
Learning through art has many forms - from beatboxing while practicing counting and fractions and illustrating the rising action in a story, to singing along to songs that highlight rules of grammar.
At the Summer Arts for Learning Academy (SALA), it looks like all of this and more for 3,000 City Schools students.
For six weeks this summer, students in pre-k to 6th grade started their day with a creative experience that encourages self expression, builds confidence, and strengthens connections. From there, students spent mornings studying math and literacy through the arts. And in the afternoon, students explored an art form guided by teaching artists. Some students learned how to use cameras and explore photography, others wrote original songs and learned an instrument or dove into the world of theater, honing their acting skills and planning a production.
Through SALA, which is managed by Arts for Learning Maryland, students and educators are exploring innovative ways of teaching and learning. By teaming with teaching artists, educators at SALA are infusing traditional academic content with hands-on creativity. The result was a fun summer encouraging students to explore new art forms and find new, creative approaches to learning math and literacy.
"I get to see the kids interacting with school and being excited about learning through the art,” said Eric Gabriel, Arts for Learning Maryland Teaching Artist at SALA. “That just makes my day."
As Laurie-Lynn Sutton, Director; Summer & Extended Learning at City Schools put it "(Arts integration is)...almost like hiding the veggies in the sauce. Literacy and mathematics are integrated in arts-based activities, which students experience throughout the day. Whether it is a rap about division or writing and illustrating their own book, students are learning while having fun.”
To learn more about the Summer Arts for Learning Academy, click here.
Images courtesy of Arts for Learning Maryland