NEW HAMPHSIRE INSTITUTE OF ART STUDENTS PROVIDE ART EDUCATION FOR ST. BENEDICT ACADEMY
11/23/2009MANCHESTER, NH - This fall the Institute's Art Education program partnered with St. Benedict Academy in Manchester to create an eight-week art curriculum for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students. The goal of the program is to give Institute students pursuing a degree in art education, an opportunity to practice teaching while providing students at St. Benedict Academy exposure to creativity and lessons in art. The program began on October 14 and comes to a close on December 2, 2009.
The art classes will be the first ever incorporated in St. Benedict's curriculum. Suzanne Canali, Art Education chairperson, connected with St. Benedict Academy's principal, Sr. Betty Roy, earlier this year about the details of the project. "We are so excited to partner with the Institute for the sake of our children. We, at Saint Benedict Academy, strive to educate the whole child. All of us will benefit from this partnership: our students, our teachers, and your future teachers," Sr. Betty said. Fifteen art education students are part of the program that takes place in St. Benedict Academy classrooms on Manchester's West Side.
Institute students spent the first part of the semester working in groups to develop and implement lesson plans and studying the development of children in the classroom. The first four weeks of the program were dedicated to Pre-K through third grades, and the last four weeks were dedicated to fourth through sixth grades. Second grade teacher Sue Freethey said, "....they enabled the students to use their ideas and imaginations."
Each participating Institute student was required to have a reflection journal to record his or her observations, experiences, successes and challenges throughout the semester. Journals will provide helpful information as students navigate the challenges of K-12 educational settings. Both the Institute and Academy hope to continue the partnership and program in future semesters.
The New Hampshire Institute of Art offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree along with non-credit continuing education and certificate programs. The New Hampshire Institute of Art is the only independent college of art in New Hampshire and Vermont and is nationally accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and is a candidate for accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. All Institute buildings are wheelchair accessible. For more information on the Art Education program, please contact kberger@nhia.edu or call 603-836-2592.