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| Arts at Club Learn | |||
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From vibrant murals around every corner to annual cross-cultural festivals, the Pilsen community celebrates life through artistic expression. Taking on the spirit of the community, children in Gads Hill’s youth programs express themselves creatively every day. Through the arts, Gads Hill empowers students by helping them discover new ways to express themselves and interact with the community. In the after-school programs at Gads Hill, students become active learners by exploring their imaginations. As a group, students in Club Learn choose topics to study in depth and spotlight in community expositions. When researching zoo animals, the environment, or foreign countries, students further engage in the learning process by practicing their creative skills. Students use innovative approaches in their presentations by working with materials like clay or recycled objects. A group recently created ceramic masks and kachina paper dolls for their presentation on Native American cultures; another group that selected the theme polar bears constructed foam core dioramas of the arctic landscape. The projects and materials present challenges that kids learn from and enjoy working through with one another. Through art, students connect to and take pride in what they produce. At the Club Learn expositions, students gain a dynamic outlet to share their knowledge and showcase their unique abilities for parents and the broader community. In addition to what Gads Hill staff and programs provide students every day, the center also partners with other local organizations to enhance student involvement in the arts. Gads Hill partners with the Suzuki-Orff School of Music, which brings a literacy program called "Clap, Sing, Read!" to Gads Hill Center. Parents are encouraged to attend with their young students to participate in sing-alongs and reading activities that teach the rhythm of words and build children's vocabulary. Kids engage all of their senses in these lessons, connecting their senses to the study of language. While improving their literacy skills, students also gain confidence in their ability to vocally express themselves with other adults and children in the community. Community members are exposed to art through the presence of prominent murals and numerous gallery spaces throughout the neighborhood. Students at Gads Hill also contribute to the community's artistic tradition of public exhibition. In 2005, students from Primero la Ciencia (Science First), an environmental summer program run in partnership with the Chicago Botanic Gardens, created a mural of their own on Pilsen's Central Bakery. In April 2009, Club Learn collaborated with local artists from Pros Arts Studio on a two- week long workshop. Students created pieces for Pros Arts' 13th Annual Dia de los Niño celebration, which took place on April 30th at their site in Dvorak Park. The theme of the event was Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which created a fun, welcoming environment for families to gather and see students' work. During the workshops led by local Pros Arts artist, Roberto Feyrerra, Club Learn students worked together to construct the chocolate and candy forest from Willy Wonka's factory. Throughout the sessions, the artist and students spoke to one another in Spanish, creating a comfortable atmosphere for students to ask questions and participate in the creative process. Students from schools throughout the neighborhood shared their projects from the workshops in a group installation at the Pros Arts event. The evening’s entertainment also featured a screening of the film as well as a performance by the Pros Payasos Ensemble. Through their participation in the workshop and the Dia de los Niño celebration, Gads Hill students had the opportunity to learn more about their cultural heritage and engage in constructive community-building. By integrating the exploration of art into their youth programs, Gads Hill Center engages students in positive learning experiences that help them expand their academic and cultural interests. Students form a sense of belonging in the community that supports and honors self-expression. They gain confidence while practicing skills that contribute to shaping them as individuals and as vital members of a greater community.
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