This year at OCAD i am taking a class in art education that has joined forces with the AGO’s school and family programming.  We have been tasked to blog about our
experiences and readings and just generally ruminate on art and education.  Education here is targeted to youth ranging from pre-schoolers to grade 12.  i chose
the course because of my interest in kids and my continued involvement with my
daughter’s middle school and i generally feel that social engagement can be well experienced through art and that children especially are receptive in participating when art is used as the vehicle to social engagement.

Last Spring i helped with two projects at Riverside – one an outdoor blackboard for the kindergartens. They contributed their designs on the wildlife in and around the Credit
River which i transposed onto out door blackboards they can use chalk on.  This project was follow by wheat pasting the original drawings for the blackboards to the metal doors of their storage shed in the Kindy pen. The other project was to decorate a decapitated tree’s trunk with painted wood tiles which was accomplished primarily with the Herculean effort of Ms Hunter.  It is a striking welcome to the school and i was thrilled watching the kids find their tile and feel personally connected to the project and thereby the school.

Both projects involved heavy participation by the teachers to make them happen as well as support from the principal.  i was surprised at the amount of time that needed to be carved out of the curriculum to fulfill these “extra projects”.  The planning prior to the execution of the projects was extensive.   The needs of the teachers and practicalities of what the kids could cope with needed to be considered. i enjoyed the feedback and problem solving and the constant consultation and compromises with the stakeholders to achieve both projects. My biggest insight was that without the support of the teachers and principal these types of activities - “extra projects”, whether they be art or otherwise - would not happen.  

In the summer while chatting with neighbours at our local farmers market the tree in front of Riverside was brought up in discussion - i was happy to give the back story and receive the compliments - but was most thrilled that it was noticed, remarked upon and viewed as a positive impact in the community.  i am glad the teachers and principal at Riverside believe in the “extra projects” - the impact is felt beyond just the kids and it feeds the health of the entire community.