In this AEMDD project NYC Community SchoolDistrict 28 collaborated with the cultural organization, City Lore, to bring community folk and fine artists into a set of Queens public elementary and junior high schools to work with students and teachers to study the historical and cultural contexts in which the arts are made and to develop the research, discussion, and literacy skills associated with this kind of inquiry.
Teaching artists were paired with classroom teachers and arts specialists to engage their students in oral history, community study, and the development of artistic expertise. Working with students, the teaching teams produced arts-integrated units of study that incorporated instruction in the traditional arts, student inquiry, and primary research, as well as individual and collaborative artistic expression, in order to increase students’ arts skills, language learning, and to foster students’ awareness of the many traditions that make up the multicultural landscape of New York City.
Nations in Neighborhoods served six inner city elementary and junior high schools with a significant percentage of students at risk of educational failure, as defined by income levels, special educational needs, and level of English language proficiency. While the demographics of these partner schools present a unique set of challenges, they also present a unique set of opportunities. The NiN project used the immigrant backgrounds of these student populations, as well as the diversity of their home and school neighborhoods, as a resource for school improvement through the arts.