Our students have stories that they need to express in order to be whole, complete and healthy. However, at the elementary age, many lack the emotional vocabulary to relate these experiences because so many of them come from deeply traumatic backgrounds. COVID was an additional hardship to what were already unimaginable and stressful lifestyles for much of our student population. We have begun to provide them structure for self-expression with the “Zones of Regulation.” Our students rock at being able to identify how they are feeling. Expressing those feelings verbally, however, is still a very scary and daunting task for them. Yet our students will draw, color, paint and put those feelings to paper without hesitation! Art gives our students a voice when words fail.
The beauty of art is that anyone can create it. The reality of art is that not everyone can afford it. Meeting housing and food insecurities are paramount to purchasing art supplies – even something seemingly “inexpensive” as a box of crayons is often out of reach in their homes. The supplies I am seeking will be used in weekly, half hour arts instruction periods that reach approximately 200 of our students. The outlet is designed to help them to become more self-aware, and to find resolutions. It also helps in developing social skills, reducing anxiety, increasing self-esteem, and managing behavioral problems. Arts education helps children become resilient, meaning it helps them become stronger and better enables them to recover from difficulties. Which in turn better enables them to learn at school and succeed. This is art from the art. This is art FOR THE HEART.
(VA:Re7.1.1 VA:Cn10.2.1 )
About my class
Our students have stories that they need to express in order to be whole, complete and healthy. However, at the elementary age, many lack the emotional vocabulary to relate these experiences because so many of them come from deeply traumatic backgrounds. COVID was an additional hardship to what were already unimaginable and stressful lifestyles for much of our student population. We have begun to provide them structure for self-expression with the “Zones of Regulation.” Our students rock at being able to identify how they are feeling. Expressing those feelings verbally, however, is still a very scary and daunting task for them. Yet our students will draw, color, paint and put those feelings to paper without hesitation! Art gives our students a voice when words fail.
The beauty of art is that anyone can create it. The reality of art is that not everyone can afford it. Meeting housing and food insecurities are paramount to purchasing art supplies – even something seemingly “inexpensive” as a box of crayons is often out of reach in their homes. The supplies I am seeking will be used in weekly, half hour arts instruction periods that reach approximately 200 of our students. The outlet is designed to help them to become more self-aware, and to find resolutions. It also helps in developing social skills, reducing anxiety, increasing self-esteem, and managing behavioral problems. Arts education helps children become resilient, meaning it helps them become stronger and better enables them to recover from difficulties. Which in turn better enables them to learn at school and succeed. This is art from the art. This is art FOR THE HEART.
(VA:Re7.1.1 VA:Cn10.2.1 )
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