~ Belonging Circles ~
977 Payne Ave St. Paul, MN 55130 651-774-5422 esac@visi.com Unfortunately, many East Side children can be categorized as vulnerable, with little access to resources and few choices. Of the 10 St. Paul elementary schools that serve the poorest constituents, 7 are on the East Side. Each school serves a tremendously diverse population, many of whom are recent immigrants. Due to lack of time and resources, these schools do not have the ability to develop a specific curriculum for afterschool programs, let alone create new programs that build on recent data about effective, resonant afterschool programs. ESAC has partnered with these schools in the past and would like to expand the opportunity to build consistent, challenging and meaningful opportunities for children to grow. The goals of the Belonging Circles are to: • initiate dialogue about belonging and a sense of place • promote intercultural respect and understanding in our community • help children recognize their rights as humans from any culture, in any country • build recognition that the arts can be both universal and culturally distinct • develop skills of self-expression, discipline and determination through the art-making process • model cooperative, respectful relationships within our partners The objectives the Belonging Circles are to: • offer our this guide to schools on the East Side of St. Paul • provide free, accessible, quality arts experiences during high-risk times of the day when youth are most vulnerable • 2 days a week of contact time with an accomplished, professional artist • community celebration to allow students to celebrate their new skills and share works-in-progress with families and friends • rigorous evaluation measuring the sessions against our rubric as well as any afterschool program determined goals. |
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