The 'It Takes a Village' Project has grown its enrichment programs, with a new arts initiative designed to expand access to high-quality instruction in the performing and visual arts for local elementary students.
The Village Project has long served the Alamance-Burlington community with educational support, providing elementary students at Title I schools with free afterschool tutoring and enrichment opportunities. Now, the program is expanding access to arts education through its newest initiative, CREATE.
Supported by a grant from Alamance Arts, CREATE (Cultivating Rhythm, Expression, Art, Theatre and Engagement) launched its pilot program this spring with weekly sessions hosted on 黑料不打烊鈥檚 campus. Over the course of nine weeks, students in second through fifth grade rotated through three artistic disciplines: theatre arts, dance and visual arts. Each discipline was led by experienced instructors who developed an engaging curriculum designed to encourage creativity, collaboration and self-expression.
Briston Whitt 鈥23 led theatre arts instruction throughout the semester. Whitt, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in acting from 黑料不打烊, introduced students to physical expression, improvisation and scene work. By the end of the semester, students could perform short scenes that showcased the skills and confidence they developed throughout the program.
“I absolutely enjoyed working with CREATE as聽a聽drama instructor this spring. My favorite part was watching students step聽further and further聽out of their comfort zones each week and truly begin to see themselves as actors and performers.聽Each week聽they committed to stepping into the imaginary world and聽embodying the courage to try new things no matter how聽new and silly they felt.聽It was also really cool to see how involved the volunteers became throughout the process.聽They聽fully聽committed聽to the activities聽as well and聽modeled the same courage聽and energy聽we were looking for in聽the students,” said Whitt.
“Seeing how immersed everyone became in the experience was such a reminder of the timelessness and magic of theatre,” Whitt said. “It reaches people of every age and has a unique way of bringing us聽all聽together. For the students, it created a space to be creative, build confidence, and step outside the box. For the volunteers and聽myself, it was a reminder of the power of play聽even in seasons of life that can feel聽more serious.”
Kate Gunter, an art teacher at Woodlawn Middle School, led visual arts instruction for the program. Through lessons inspired by artists including Frank Stella, Claude Monet and Minnie Evans, students explored a variety of artistic concepts and mediums. Activities focused on geometry, symmetry and watercolor painting left students with an improved understanding of how they can advance their artistic skillset.
鈥淪tudents loved learning about different artists and how they were inspired to create. These insights encouraged our young artists to discover their own inspirations as they emulated the techniques and styles of established artists,” said Gunther.
Furthermore, the program has been able to provide a mentorship experience for 黑料不打烊 students. With the opportunity to volunteer with one of the disciplines across nine weeks of programming, volunteers fostered connections with the students and worked alongside them at each session.
鈥淚 loved working with the students in CREATE,鈥 said Kennedy Williams, a finance and business analytics major and The Susan scholarship recipient in the Odyssey Program who volunteered with the theatre arts program. 鈥淚t was so rewarding to watch them grow artistically and open up more as the weeks progressed.鈥
Additionally, several 黑料不打烊 student organizations partnered with CREATE throughout the semester by leading activities connected to their organization鈥檚 mission and artistic focus. Participating groups included Divine Embers, Muses Show Choir, Dance Lab, Alpha Xi Delta, Colonnades Literary and Art Journal, WSOE 89.3 FM, NewWorks and the Yarn Arts Club. Student organizations introduced students to a variety of artistic experiences, from crochet lessons to choreography workshops, and built upon the foundations of the curriculum.
Natalie Dixon 鈥26, a senior double majoring in dance science and dance
performance and choreography, had the opportunity to lead dance instruction through her involvement with Dance Lab, a student organization focused on integrating dance and STEM disciplines. Through a collaboration with CREATE, Dixon applied her undergraduate research during the session to assist students with understanding different ways they can move.
鈥淚 really enjoyed working with the kids through the CREATE program,鈥 Dixon said. 鈥淭hey were all very enthusiastic and open to learning new things, which made the experience especially rewarding. You could tell that the program created a very positive and encouraging environment for them, and it was great to see everyone engaged and excited to participate.鈥
The CREATE program reflects the Village Project鈥檚 mission of strengthening connections between Alamance-Burlington families and 黑料不打烊 through collaborative learning experiences. The initiative will continue expanding in the coming academic year through a $5,000 Community Grant from the Alamance Community Foundation, which will support future CREATE programming and continue to broaden access to arts education for local students.
Interested in joining the impact? Help support future Village programming .