2001-2002 Planning Grant Projects: Recipients and Abstracts

Architecture/Design

CSD 31/PS 16 John J. Driscoll School, Richmond County
Jo Walker
The school/community planning committee, working with architect Jo Walker and 2nd-5th grade students, will develop a working plan to create a small animal center or children’s "mini zoo" to house and care for, and present educational displays of the animals which students, staff and parents have collected over the years.

Interdisciplinary

CSD 15/PS378 Carroll Gardens Community School, Kings County
Michele Kotler, Sarniy Bashir, Lisa Ascalon
With writers/poets Michele Kotler, Samiya Bashir and Lisa Ascalon, PS 378 will prepare for the development of a Word Photo mural with its 7th graders.

Ramapo High School, Rockland County
Debra Weiss
Choreographer Debra Weiss will work with teachers and five English classes to develop a poetry and dance program addressing the powerful and contradictory emotions of the September 11th tragedy. Students will write poetry with their English teachers and in this pilot project, Debra Weiss will work with students to create a dance drama based on the students poetry.

Literature

Alt, Adult & Continuing Education, Schools & Programs/ M560/Career Ed Center, New York County
Ilka Scolbie
Professional collaborations between classroom teachers and writer Ilka Scobie will create relevant methods of teaching literature and writing. A pilot effort of that work will engage CEC students in multi cultural and contemporary poetry and then feature personal writing and editing.

Media Arts

Brooklyn School for Global Studies, Kings County
Randi Cecchine
In collaboration with Global Action Project artist Randi Cecchine, BSGS will plan to integrate video into the curriculum using new media technology as a tool to support instruction and will design a plan to implement video-arts infusion into the humanities curriculum and/or elective classes.

Multidisciplinary

Nassau BOCES Cultural Arts Center, Nassau County
Lenora Zenzalai Helm
Composer and musician Lenora Zenzalai Helm will work with 9th – 12th grade students to prepare for the implementation of a multi-disciplinary expressive art effort including the development of original works with Nassau BOCES Cultural Arts Center students and community youth in dance, drama, instrumental ensembles, vocal jazz ensembles and visual art. A primary goal of the program is to provide students with a professional-level participatory experience in their art form and in other disciplines.

Performance Arts

CSD 75/PS 373 Brooklyn Transition Center, Kings County
Tish Williams
With theater artist Tish Williamson from Elder Share the Arts, the school will plan and execute a pilot residency project that "teaches tolerance through theater arts" for students with special needs at the high school level. Through ongoing planning and evaluation, the project will develop developmentally appropriate curricular links.

CSD 84/PS 705 The Renaissance Charter School, Queens County
TADA teaching artists TBA
Two teaching artists from TADA will work with 4th, 5th and 6th grade teachers to implement a musical theatre component to The Renaissance Charter School’s "History Alive" curriculum. The planning grant will provide for staff development workshops and several planning sessions where teachers will learn to actively engage students in the history curriculum through theatrical exercises such as living biography, lyric writing and dance/movement.

D Youville/Porter Campus, Erie County
Frank LaVoie
Theater artist Frank LaVoie along with a puppeteer, stage directors and actors from the Kavinoky Theatre will develop an 8 week pilot project with 3rd graders and their home room teachers from the D’Youville/Porter School that will develop an original play engaging the theme of myth and environment.

Visual Arts

CSD 08/PS 146, Bronx County
Sandra Fabara
PS 146 will work with muralist Sandra Fabara to beautify the school and community. In this planning effort, teachers and students will design and execute all aspects of this project.

CSD 85/PS 59 The Community School of Technology, Bronx County
Andrea Purcipliotti
All of the students at PS 59 will work with visual artist and muralist Andrea Purcigliotti to integrate knowledge learned at the New York Botanical Gardens and take part in the drawing and painting of a large mural with a garden theme in the school yard. This planning opportunity will allow the school committee to collaborate and plan with the artist.

2000-2001 Planning Grant Projects: Recipients and Abstracts

Interdisciplinary

Albany City School District/Philip Livingston Magnet Academy, Albany County
Philip Livingston Magnet Academy will plan a three-phase, interdisciplinary project for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. The planning committee will work to create a program in which students create an original musical, involving poetry, libretto- and music-writing, choreography, acting, and singing. The project will result in the production of the original musical, which will focus on themes that promote unity through nonviolence and the celebration of individualism vs. gang affiliation and vigilantism.

CSD #31/Public School 13, Richmond County
CSD #31/PS 13 will form a planning group and hold three day-long meetings in order to explore how to construct residencies that highlight the values of different cultures. This planning process will ensure that the residency series reflects the needs of the school, curriculum, and community. The meetings will include staff development workshops led by the teaching artists involved in the project.

Schenectady City School District/King Magnet School, Schenectady County
The entire King Magnet School community will join with a poet, a dancer, and a visual artist to plan a performance incorporating a butterfly theme, with dance, poetry, a mural backdrop, and music. The project will follow up on the ongoing study of butterflies in the science curriculum, which has incorporated the creation of butterfly gardens in classroom courtyards. The planning process will bring all teachers on board, helping them to coordinate curriculum content with the artists.

Media Arts

CSD #72/PS 425X/Evander Childs High School, Bronx County
Evander Childs High School will design and plan a media arts program through staff and curriculum development activities. The program will consist of a sequential media arts major, media arts electives, and parent outreach workshops. Artistic disciplines focused on will include digital photography, web design and desktop publishing design.

Theater Arts

Syracuse Diocese/St. Peter's School, Oneida County
St. Peter's School will plan an in-school and after-school theater arts program which embraces the school's "child-centered" philosophy. Kindergarten through sixth-grade students will use works of children's literature and their own, original stories to create musical plays, involving drama, writing, and dance.