Kelsey Celek, Quincy Community Theatre's Director of Education, teaches Mrs. Haskins' 5th Grade class about using objectives in acting. This activity is sponsored by Arts Quincy's Instant Arts Classroom Funds and took place at St. Peters School.
Arts Education Gaining STEAM
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INSTANT ARTS CLASSROOM FUNDS magine a community that embraces the arts as a fundamental tool to enhance learning. This is a vision Arts Quincy has for Adams County at every grade level and in every school. Instant Arts Classroom Funds provides an
additional resource to make that vision a reality to bring out the joy in learning. Through creative experiences for students and teachers alike, the program helps local schools cultivate and sustain the arts that are so essential to education. During the 2018/2019 school year, 7,500 students at 17 area public and parochial schools will have arts, music, theater or dance experience through Arts Quincy’s donorsupported Instant Arts Program. The total reach of the program has tripled in size over the past three years because teachers, parents and administrators see the growing need for engaging and creative activities for students at all levels. STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) is catching on nationwide
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artsquincy.org
because educational leaders and business professionals see the value that having creative and adaptable thinkers adds in any industry. Teachers agree that providing these opportunities helps improve critical thinking skills, confidence and engagement in the classroom, and studies show the arts help students of all learning styles feel a sense of achievement by learning better social and character development and self-awareness. Lori Biswell of Baldwin School writes, “We have been so thankful
that the Arts Quincy Instant Arts Program has funded our students to be able to experience many arts activities that many of our kids would never be able to do on their own. Some students don’t excel in traditional academic subjects, but find their passion in the arts.” One of the strengths of the program is that teachers are able to choose from a large menu of options across arts disciplines so that their activity matches their curriculum and students’ grade level or interests. Some of the most popular programs