Student Historical Art Resource Program How Exactly Does The
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
“What I’ve noticed with my son since beginning with SHARP is what it’s done to really renew his interest in creative writing. He’s journaling at home now, he writes all the time and he even writes plays and makes the whole family participate. It’s been really fascinating to see him get such a spark and a new-found love for writing that he didn’t previously have.” —Mother of a SHARP Second-Grader SHARP Students Read and Write! Literacy , Inc. Student Historical Art Resource Program 750 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive, Suite 311 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 Student Historical Art Resource Program The SHARP Mission SHARP Literacy is committed to enhancing student skills in written and oral language, science and social studies by engaging young people in a creative learning experience that highlights art history and the visual arts. Forging meaningful connections to children of diverse cultural backgrounds, SHARP Literacy focuses on reaching urban elementary students in grades one through five. The SHARP Story Since 1996, SHARP Literacy programs incorporating the visual arts have given thousands of Milwaukee elementary students an important edge in research, interview, reading, writing, vocabulary and presentation skills. SHARP develops and provides lesson plans, teacher/student workbooks, Writing Challenges, field trips, activities, special projects and in-classroom guest visits for students who reside in some of Milwaukee’s most challenging neighborhoods. Elder and techer Phil Bautista takes a short break In addition to harnessing the power of the visual arts, all of SHARP’s with a fifth-grade participant during the April 2009 SHARP-sponsored Circle of Life discussion at core literacy programs and materials connect directly to Wisconsin’s Marquette University, a conversation focused on mandated elementary curricula standards. student solutions to racism and discrimination. Working each year with 5,000 students in 30-plus public and parochial schools, SHARP educators collaborate with classroom teachers to “roll the presses” on assorted books featuring student-written works inspired by the SHARP curricula — a process that annually turns thousands of children into published authors. Many of the books written by the students are in turn used as textbooks by other students for years to come. How Exactly Does the SHARP Program Work? THE EIGHT BUILDING BLOCKS 4. First Semester In-School Presentations from the SHARP curriculum, all student works are The SHARP school year rests firmly on the foundation (October–December). A SHARP educator visits published in attractively bound Writing Challenge of the following Eight Building Blocks: each of the 250 to 300 classrooms to introduce Books for each grade level — each thick book students to new vocabulary related both to the containing the creative efforts of hundreds of young 1. Teacher Summer Workshop (June). Each June, curriculum and the visual arts. Students explore with writers from across Milwaukee. Every SHARP teacher SHARP gathers a diverse group of its participating the SHARP presenter how artworks they view via receives a free copy of the Writing Challenge Book schoolteachers to review SHARP materials and PowerPoint relate to their other classroom subjects. for classroom use. student workbooks for each grade level, ensuring 5. SHARP Milwaukee Art Museum Tours 8. FARES: Family Achievement Recognition Events that the most up-to-date, effective teaching tools (December–March). Thousands of participating (April–May). It is at these events celebrating the are in use for the coming autumn. SHARP students are brought to the Milwaukee Art students’ achievements that the Writing Challenge 2. Teacher In-Service (September). An all-day in- Museum each year to interact with SHARP-trained Books debut, and children can’t wait to show a service session gives teachers a look at SHARP’s core docents and see first-hand many of the artworks parent or guardian that they are published authors, curriculum for the year and a preview of annual viewed earlier on screen in the classroom. Because an excitement that generates even greater student museum field trips custom-designed by SHARP the students are prepared for these SHARP- effort as children progress to the next SHARP grade for each grade level. SHARP’s annually changing designed tours, SHARP students learn more and level. Skits, stories, songs, poems, food and fun are elective writing and book enrichment projects for behave more appropriately in the museum. the order of the day at these popular family events. students are also introduced at this time. 6. Second-Semester In-School Presentations 3. Workbook Distribution (October). (January–March). After reviewing vocabulary and Chips Off the Eight Blocks Annually updated student and teacher concepts with a SHARP presenter and viewing • The cost to provide this Eight-Block program is workbooks — designed to build vocabulary by additional curriculum-related visual art, students approximately $100 per student. drawing on the strengths of multiple learning are asked to develop well-thought-out ideas for the styles — are provided for each grade level and Year-End Writing Challenge (outlined in the last few • “The SHARP Eight Building Blocks,” a three-credit each student, offering students a year’s-worth of pages of SHARP student workbooks). graduate course at Cardinal Stritch University engaging activities exploring language arts, science 7. Year-End Writing Challenge (March). After offered to elementary teachers leading classrooms and social studies subjects. students complete the challenge to pen a short enrolled in the SHARP Literacy program, enters its story, poem or essay about what they have learned fourth year in 2009–2010. Volume 10 | 2009–2010 SHARP Students Read and Write! From the Executive Director In difficult times for non-profits across the nation, … We reviewed more than 420 nominations from Any differences we are able to make in the lives we at SHARP Literacy consider ourselves fortunate 46 states … Your program’s selection as one of the of young people would not be possible without to retain a passion for what we do because teachers, 50 semifinalists distinguishes it as one of the top countless donors and volunteers who — on our parents, independent testers — and, most gratifyingly, arts- and humanities-based programs in the country behalf — willingly, gladly and regularly put all other our young writers themselves — tell us we are making serving youth.” aspects of their own lives on hold to help us nurture a difference in the lives of thousands of Milwaukee and celebrate the achievements of our students. elementary students. We look forward to celebrating In addition to our annual core programming During the past 12 months, we have worked our 15th year later in 2010, and with that important connecting young authors to language arts skills, with some very special people we are especially anniversary on the horizon, we find much to be science, social studies and the visual arts, SHARP’s grateful for: excited about and much to be thankful for. 2009–2010 school year will showcase a brand new publication by our student researchers. Special • Kristine Rappé, Wisconsin Energy Corp. Our ability to make a difference recently received highlights to look for this year include: • Charles Groeschell, Baird Advisors national attention when SHARP was selected as a • Curt S. Culver, MGIC 2009 Coming Up Taller Semifinalist by the President’s • The fall 2009 publication of Growing Up Strong: A • Russ Darrow, Russ Darrow Group, Inc. Committee on the Arts and Humanities and its Kids’-Eye View of a Healthy You — and a Healthy • Bev Greenberg, Time Warner Cable partner agencies: the Institute of Museum and Library World, Too! This latest entry in SHARP’s We Love to • Patty Cadorin, M&I Bank Services, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Learn Book Series — books written by children for • Kathe Cavallo, Community Volunteer National Endowment for the Humanities. The original children — offers student perspectives on important • Kate Wilson, Community Volunteer Coming Up Taller nomination came for SHARP’s health issues. multi-year Greater Milwaukee Circle of Life project Thanks to these leaders and many others, SHARP (detailed on Page 2 of this newsletter). The official • Student research and writing for the next We Love will continue to devote itself to building vocabulary, notification letter announcing this special recognition to Learn Book, a multi-faceted project celebrating readers, writers and better citizens — as we hold dear said in part: Technical and Trade Careers. the incontrovertible fact that the gift of knowledge lasts a lifetime. “We are highly impressed with the successful work • The second year of a Pilot Project exploring the your organization and other semifinalists have expansion of the SHARP program into first-grade accomplished in … arts and humanities learning. classrooms. Growing Up Strong The fall 2009 publication of Growing 10. Vision Up Strong: A Kids’-Eye View of a 11. Asthma and Allergies Healthy You — and a Healthy World, 12. Social and Emotional Health Too! is a welcome answer to a request from many SHARP teachers who saw The focus of this newest We Love a need for a student book project to Learn Book draws much of its exploring assorted vital health issues inspiration from the United Nations facing children today. Aware that Convention on the Rights of the Child — elementary pupils in the United States a document drawn up and accepted are experiencing sleep disorders, by almost