President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities -Tl f» -Tli' Coming Up Taller Arts and Humanities Programs for Children and Youth At Risk ADVISORS Jessica Davis Nancy Rogers Research Associate Acting Director Project Zero Division of Public Harvard University Programs Graduate School of National Endowment Education for the Humanities Cambridge, MA Washington, DC Diane Frankel William Strickland Director Executive Director Institute of Museum Manchester Craftsmen's Services Guild Washington, DC Pittsburgh, PA Marianne Klink Ruby Takanishi Federal Liaison Executive Director National Endowment for Carnegie Council on the Arts Adolescent Development Washington, DC Washington, DC Wayne Lawson Nancy Welch Executive Director Senior Research Analyst Ohio Arts Council Morrison Institute for Columbus, OH Public Policy Arizona State University Frances Lucerna Tempe, AZ Artistic Director El Puente Halima Williams Brooklyn, NY Co-Artistic Director Living Stage Theatre Ellen McCulloch-Lovell Company Executive Director Washington, DC President's Committee on the Arts and the Lynn Wright-Kernodle Humanities Coordinator Washington, DC MOTHEREAD Literacy Development Program Karen Pittman North Carolina Director of U.S. Programs Humanities Council International Youth Greensboro, NC Foundation Takoma Park, MD Coming Up Taller Arts and Humanities Programs for Children and Youth At Risk by Judith Humphreys Weitz President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities With the National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies This project is funded by the Anncox Foundation, Botwinick-Wolfensohn Foundation, Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, Nathan Cummings Foundation, GE Fund and Harris Foundation. April 1996 Photos on the cover are from the following organizations: First row, left to right: Lula Washington Contemporary Dance Foundation, Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, Bakehouse Art Complex. Third row, left to right: The 52nd Street Project, Precita Eyes Mural Arts Center. Fourth row, left to right: MERIT Music Program of Chicago, The Wang Center for the Performing Arts, Washington State Historical Society, Capital Museum. Fifth row, left to right: Washington State Historical Society, Capital Museum, Settlement Music School, The Brooklyn Children's Museum. Back cover, top to bottom: Oakland Youth Chorus, Vermont Council on the Humanities. Copyright ©1996 President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities Editor: Elizabeth Murfee Design: Beth Singer Design Printing: Cavanaugh Press Profile Research: National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies Permission to copy, to disseminate or to otherwise use information from this report is granted as long as appropriate acknowledgment is given. Copies of this report can be ordered from the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 526 Washington, DC 20506 Phone: 202-682-5409 • Fax: 202-682-5668 1 There is no way to fast forward and know how the kids will look back on this, but I have seen the joy in their eyes and have heard it in their voices and I have watched them take a bow and come up taller. 1 Willie Reale, artistic director of The 52nd Street Project, describing the impact of a theater program on youth living in "Hell's Kitchen," a neighborhood in New York City. 1 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 6 CHAPTER ONE I I A Changed Environment for Children: A Status Report CHAPTER TWO 15 Culture Counts: The Case for the Arts and the Humanities in Youth Development CHAPTER THREE 20 Transforming Lives: An Overview of Arts and Humanities Programs CHAPTER FOUR 28 A Delicate Balance: Principles and Practices of Promising Arts and Humanities Programs CHAPTER FIVE 38 Looking Ahead: A Next-Step Agenda CHAPTER SIX 41 Two Hundred Plus: Profiles of Arts and Humanities Programs APPENDIX 153 State-by-State Index 154 A Note on Assessment 158 Notes 160 Acknowledgments 162 The Dance Ring DBA New York Theatre Ballet — Introduction and Summary Coming Up Taller is a report poets, videographers, filled with hope, a narrative museum curators, dancers, about youth learning to musicians, muralists, paint, sing, write plays and scholars and librarians. poems, take photographs, make videos and play The President's Committee drums or violins. Here are believes strongly in the WHY THIS REPORT stories of children who learn importance of including the In September 1994, to dance, mount exhibi- arts and the disciplines of President Clinton announced tions, explore the history of the humanities in the the new members of the their neighborhoods and school curriculum. This President's Committee on write and print their own study looks at what hap- the Arts and the Humanities. books. pens to young people when He and First Lady Hillary they are not in school Rodham Clinton, who This report documents arts when they need adult serves as Honorary Chair of and humanities programs supervision, safe places to the President's Committee, in communities across go and activities that charged the Committee to America that offer opportu- expand their skills and offer explore ways to enhance nities for children and them hope. the availability of the arts youth to learn new skills, and the humanities to expand their horizons and The individual programs children, especially to develop a sense of self, described in this study take those at risk. well-being and belonging. place in many locations, some unusual, in their com- "Too often today, instead of Coming Up Taller is also an munities. Children, artists children discovering the account of the and scholars come together joyful rewards of painting, men and women at cultural centers, muse- or music, or sculpting, or who share their ums, libraries, performing writing or testing a new skills as they help arts centers and arts idea, they express them- to shape the talents schools, to be sure. Arts selves through acts of frus- of children and and humanities programs tration, helplessness, hope- youth and tap their also are based at public lessness and even violence," hidden potentials. radio and television sta- noted Hillary Rodham These dedicated individ- tions, parks and recreation Clinton in remarks to the uals, often working long centers, churches, public President's Committee. hours for little pay, are housing complexes, teen "We see too clearly how an educators, social workers, centers, settlement houses erosion and a breakdown of playwrights, actors, and Boys and Girls Clubs. our most cherished institu- In places unnoticed by tions have resulted in a mainstream media, acts of fraying of the whole social commitment and achieve- fabric. We know that the ment are evident every day. arts have the potential for This report documents arts and humanities programs that are changing children's liues v IS VO ^ 1995 Drama 1995 Drama CluB \ama ClO*> 995 Drama CUb jj J obliterating the limits that the arts and the humani- impart new skills and Above Left: Settlement Music are too often imposed on ties that reach at-risk chil- encourage new perspec- School. Above:The Wang Center for the Performing our lives. We know that dren and youth and to tives that begin to trans- Arts. Lower Left: Lula they can take anyone, but describe the principles and form the lives of at-risk Washington Contemporary particularly a child, and practices that make these children and youth. Dance Foundation. transport that child beyond programs effective. the bounds that circum- B. Community arts and • Use innovative teaching stance has prescribed." SUMMARY OF humanities programs pro- strategies such as hands-on FINDINGS vide crucial "building learning, apprenticeships The First Lady encouraged Coming Up Taller calls blocks" for children's and technology, often giving the Committee to offer con- attention to the variety and healthy development. youth concrete job skills. crete ideas "about how we vitality of promising arts These programs: • Emphasize excellence and can provide children with and humanities programs • Create safe places for expose children to quality safe havens." She noted, for children and youth. It children and youth where staff and programming. "The arts and humanities also describes common they can develop construc- have the potential for being characteristics that these • Build on what youth tive relationships with such safe havens. In com- programs share. value and understand and their peers. munities where programs encourage voluntary partic- already exist, they are pro- A* Perhaps the most • Offer small classes with ipation. viding soul-saving and life- distinguishing aspect of opportunities for youth to • Establish clear expecta- enhancing opportunities these programs is their develop close, interactive tions and reward progress. for young people." ability to take full advan- relationships with adults. tage of the capacity of the • Maintain sustained, regu- • Place a premium on giving As a first step, the Presi- arts and the humanities to lar programs upon which youth a chance to succeed dent's Committee produced engage students. children can count and as a way to build their sense this report to identify Beginning with this provide youth with oppor- of worth and achievement. community programs in engagement, programs tunities to be valued com- munity members. Through arts and humanities programs, youth tap hidden potentials and deuelop new skills. limited staff and small C. The programs not only E* No two programs are on improve linkages among budgets. Technical assis- cultural programs provide youth with experi- alike. Each program and tance efforts, perhaps sup- other community