VIRTUAL & SOCIALLY
DISTANT
PROGRAMS
FOR SCHOOLS
We know being an educator during the 2020-21 school year is incredibly difficult, which is why our School-based Programs team is going the extra distance to offer support to teachers and campuses. We have adapted several of our programs so that we may continue to offer schools creative learning opportunities that support community building while ensuring a safe distance apart.
Below are our current offerings. Each program comes with a small fee so please contact us at schoolbased@creativeaction.org to learn more. Some schools may be eligible for the Community Arts Partner Funds through Austin ISD’s Creative Learning Initiative. This includes all schools listed here.
Don’t see a program that’s quite right for your campus or worried about how you might pay for a program? Contact us! We love to brainstorm about creative solutions.
The Wish Tree Project
A Wishing Tree is a tree chosen to hold wishes and offerings. For this project, school community members are invited to contribute written and drawn representations of their wishes for the future that are then hung to a tree on the school campus.
What’s included:
- Two 30-minute asynchronous, grade-level specific, pre-recorded lessons that cover the history and cross-cultural significance of wish trees. The lessons guide students through the process of representing their wishes in various artistic mediums. Lessons are available in both English and Spanish.
- All supplies, outdoor signs, and electronic/printed communication about the Wish Tree Project.
To inquire about cost, please contact schoolbased@creativeaction.org.
Rehearsing Courage: Theatre Residencies
Through synchronous instruction, our professional Teaching Artists explore and rehearse how we cultivate courage in trying times through creative drama and original theatre-making.
Pre-K – 1st Grade: Yes You Can!
Students meet a puppet friend who is struggling to manage their fear and find their courage. Together, they learn how to regulate strong feelings and inspire one another, and then teach their puppet friend how to be brave by acting these steps out.
Time commitment: Three 45-minute sessions.
2nd – 5th Grades: Courage is…
Students explore what courage means to them, write a collective poem and create a movement sequence on the topic of courage, and perform it for classmates and their families (as a recording that will be shared).
Time commitment: Three 45-minute sessions.
Media Makers Residencies
Through synchronous instruction, our professional Teaching Artists bring fun learning experiences to the classroom through creative digital media making projects.
Pre-K – 1st Grade: Digital Storytelling!
Students will go on a “quest” or “scavenger hunt” in their learning environment to find the shapes (PreK), letters (K), or words (1st) that they are learning about. They will photograph what they find, digitally enhance their photos, and record their voices as they describe the “quest.” Photos and sound files will be combined into a collective class digital story.
Time commitment: Three or more 45-minute sessions.
2nd – 5th Grades: Podcasting
Students will analyze elements of an audio poem, and create their own audio poem podcast that celebrates their favorite foods. Each audio poem will include sensory details, poetry performance, sound effects, and music; and each student will have the opportunity to write a poem, record their voice, and then edit sound files.
Time commitment: Four 60-minute sessions, or five 45-minute sessions.
To inquire about cost, please contact schoolbased@creativeaction.org.
Artists in Action
Students explore a relevant social issue, create original art about it, and share their work with a broader audience to inspire change. Artists in Action residencies are planned in collaboration with school leaders and youth.
We have a curriculum particularly focused on anti-racism, appropriate for all students, that introduces concepts of race and racism and explores ways that the arts have historically been used to support movements for racial justice.
Time commitment: Six to 12 synchronous, online sessions, session length varies.
Learn more about Artists in Action here or reach out to schoolbased@creativeaction.org for more information.