School Programs Mid-Year Report 2021 by Skirball Cultural Center

ROSLYN AND ABNER GOLDSTINE

School Programs Mid-Year Report 2021

“My school is a Title I school with over 75% of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch, and our community was hit extremely hard by the COVID pandemic. When I heard the themes of Noah’s Ark—huge storms, safe shelters, and hope— I literally shivered. It was just what my students needed to help them get through this global pandemic.” —Shannon Garrison, Grade 5 teacher, Stonehurst STEAM WolfDog Creative

Magnet School, LAUSD

Rooted in Jewish tradition and American ideals,

This school year, amid the COVID-19

the Skirball’s Roslyn and Abner Goldstine School

pandemic, we drew on the messages

Programs illuminate the inherent value of each human being. Through vivid storytelling and

and meaning of our landmark children’s

participatory experiences, our student-centered

and family destination to chart a new

programs foster empathy, resourcefulness,

course in support of virtual classrooms

collaboration, and civic engagement—all es-

across Southern California and beyond.

sential tools for creating a more just society. Since 2007, our Noah’s Ark at the Skirball field trips have welcomed hundreds of thousands of students to take part in a wondrous, play-based journey through three chapters of a universal

Above: Noah’s Ark educators Dena and Danielle lead a drum circle during an in-person Noah’s Ark school tour in 2019. Facing page: Dena is filmed inside the Ark in 2020 for one of the streaming videos created for teachers, students, and families to view remotely.

School Programs | Mid-Year Report 2021

Mercie Ghimire

story about STORMS, ARKS, and RAINBOWS.

Jane Ching Fung Belvedere Elementary School

Anna Schwarz Skirball Cultural Center

Shannon Garrison Stonehurst STEAM Magnet School

Dolly Sanders Grant Elementary School

Gina Debuque Vena Gifted Magnet School

Susie Shiver Lassen Elementary School

Martha Cervantes Suva Elementary School

Danielle Groak Skirball Cultural Center

Nadine Shindel Calvert Charter School

Navigating the STORM In March 2020, stay-at-home orders

What were the unprecedented challenges of

shuttered schools around the world

remote instruction?

and required that we cancel more than

What “storms” of frustration, anxiety, or isola-

100 field trips to the Skirball. Our ser-

tion were young learners weathering?

vice model had to change. Called to

What tools did teachers need to engage and

action, we began by asking questions,

inspire students online?

a practice central to Jewish teaching and tradition. We reached out to thousands of teachers to find out how the Skirball could be of service to them and their students.

Above: The Skirball Teacher Advisory Council meets regularly with Skirball educators to share resources, exchange ideas, and recommend ways the Skirball can support distance and hybrid learning. Facing page: Inside the Storm Gallery in Noah’s Ark, coyotes (made from repurposed materials) call out and lightning flashes.

John C. Lewis

—Susie Shiver, Grades 3–5 teacher, Lassen Elementary School, LAUSD

School Programs | Mid-Year Report 2021

“The Skirball wasted no time coming to the aid of educators during a worldwide pandemic. They listened to our needs and created virtual programs.”

Rebuilding the ARK With a team of teacher advisors, we began

NOAH’S ARK AT THE SKIRBALL: THE ART

to develop a virtual classroom that remains

OF IMAGINATION is a suite of virtual

true to the artistry of the Noah’s Ark galleries, where students’ social and emotional needs

programs and FREE digital resources

are at the forefront, where their imaginations

for Pre-K through Grade 5 teachers,

can run wild, and where they can develop the

students, and their caregivers that can

skills they need to thrive: empathy, creativity,

be enjoyed anywhere in the world! It

critical thinking, and problem-solving.

harnesses the power of storytelling and technology to strengthen classroom communities and encourage schoolchildren to see themselves as changemakers, artists, and leaders.

“Year after year, I am amazed at how the Skirball promotes the love of learning, the celebration of diversity, the high level of engagement, and inspiration you provide for the students and teachers!” —Barbara Kim, Grade 4 teacher, George Washington Elementary School, Burbank USD

Facing page: Noah’s Ark educator Julia films one of the virtual classroom’s “Mindful Moments” videos, exploring themes of hope and possibility.

“Noah’s Ark has always focused on the themes of storytelling, imagination, inclusion, and teamwork, and those are the most amazing themes you can use to teach early childhood education.”

School Programs | Mid-Year Report 2021

WolfDog Creative

—Jane Ching Fung, ETK/PCC teacher, Belvedere Elementary School, LAUSD

All Aboard! VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS facilitated by Skirball

ONLINE TEACHER TRAININGS help educa-

educators highlight flood stories from around

tors develop tools to implement storytelling,

the world that illuminate how individuals and

movement, theater, puppetry, and mindfulness

communities can work together to overcome

into classrooms, remotely and in person.

challenges.

A VIRTUAL IN-SCHOOL RESIDENCY combined

STREAMING VIDEOS guide students through interactive storytelling and mindfulness practices designed to increase well-being

use of the videos and lesson plans with virtual field trips as part of an eleven-week service-learning project for one Grade 5

and compassion.

class at Stonehurst STEAM Magnet School.

Research shows that people who practice

students created original poems, artwork,

mindfulness are more likely to help someone

and videos in which they spoke out about

in need and have greater self-compassion.

issues important in their lives and practiced

For their final presentation, the residency

DOWNLOADABLE LESSON PLANS in visual

how to be catalysts for change.

and language arts center students’ lived experiences and foster creativity, collaboration, and empathy.

“I’m a school nurse. I get a lot of students with anxiety attacks. I think I may be able to incorporate what I learned during the training into relaxation exercises.” —Lynne Rivera, Woodrow Wilson High School, LAUSD

Facing page: In this streaming video, Noah’s Ark educator Dillon tells “A Lenape Flood Story,” in which animals work together to overcome a challenge.

“The fact that all of our students were engaged, learning, excited, and participating with their cameras ON was a dream come true!!!” —Julie Brown Carlin, Community Development Manager, Keep Youth

School Programs | Mid-Year Report 2021

WolfDog Creative

Doing Something, Inc. (after-school program)

The Journey Begins

January–June 2021

136 virtual field trips conducted for more than 3,500 students at 78 participating schools across 8 school districts 85%

Over of the participating schools were Title I.

80% participated

Over free of charge.

75,000

More than students served through the virtual classroom

FREE videos and lesson plans used by

2,500 teachers

FREE teacher trainings attended by

200 educators 100s

Plus of animals home-crafted by students (like the penguin, dog, and sheep on this page!)

School Programs | Mid-Year Report 2021

more than

RAINBOWS on the Horizon In the past year, more than 650,000

Yet Noah’s Ark at the Skirball: The Art of Imag-

students in Los Angeles County partici-

ination is more than a short-term solution to

pated in some form of distance learning. Despite this major shift in educational

meet the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It marks a new milestone in the history of our school programs as we increase

experience, what remains the same

access and embrace both in-person and digital

for the Skirball’s school programs is a

engagement with students and teachers in

commitment to values-based and arts-

the years to come.

WolfDog Creative

based teaching and learning.

Above: A rainbow appears behind the toy ark inside Noah’s Ark. Facing page: The in-school residency students from Stonehurst STEAM Magnet School participate in the final virtual meeting with Skirball educators.

“Virtual learning has been tough for many students, and I saw many of them who usually aren’t too engaged be really engaged in the activity.  They had a chance to be creative and have fun while using their knowledge of storytelling and inferences.” —Kindergarten teacher

—Kindergarten teacher

School Programs | Mid-Year Report 2021

“My students’ first field trip experience fully met my goals of being joyful and centered on community building and curiosity.”

“I really felt like I was in a safe place. The AMAZING Skirball educators Dani and Jazzy supported me by encouraging me to feel comfortable when sharing with others and going a little out of my comfort zone.” —Adam, Grade 5 student and in-school residency participant

“I learned how to collaborate easier with others. I learned how to collect stories and tell stories. I also learned that public speaking isn’t that hard if you feel comfortable and confident.” —Kamen, Grade 5 student and in-school residency participant

“This is exactly what kids need right now: joy and connection with each other. So hard on Zoom, but a healthy way to get them to move and express themselves!” —Teacher training participant

“The virtual field trip had such captivating and amazing storytellers. The students were listening intently and participating at their level. Very age-appropriate. Thank you!”

School Programs | Mid-Year Report 2021

—Kindergarten teacher

OUR MISSION

The Roslyn and Abner Goldstine School

The Skirball Cultural Center is a place of

Programs at the Skirball Cultural Center are

meeting guided by the Jewish tradition of welcoming the stranger and inspired by the American democratic ideals of freedom and equality. We welcome people of all communities and generations to participate in cultural experiences that celebrate discovery and hope, foster human connections, and call upon us to help build a more just society.

made possible by generous support from: The Herb Alpert Foundation Attias Family Foundation Howard Banchik The Capital Group Companies The Walt Disney Company Joan and Jerry Doren The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation John and Marcia Goldman Foundation Roslyn and Abner Goldstine Hellman Foundation Myna and Uri Herscher Family Foundation Hirsch Family Foundation Marlene Louchheim Melanie and Richard Lundquist Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Resnick Foundation

Visit skirball.org/education/for-your-students to explore the streaming videos and downloadable lesson plans, and learn more about the Skirball’s school programs.

Specialty Family Foundation Steinmetz Foundation Dwight Stuart Youth Fund Flora L. Thornton Foundation Philip and Alyce de Toledo Fund Winnick Family Foundation