Testimonials
What TEACHERS have to say:
“This is a wonderful program. It brought out the artistic side in children who said they were not interested in art. They learned that art is every where you look. I also learned so much from Della and Blanch. I now look at art in new ways. The children are so proud of themselves. They never thought they were capable of creating such beautiful pieces of art. This program also helped my students with behavior problems. It allowed them to relax and use their energy in a positive way. Thank you again and I hope we can work together in the future." - Cheryl Moore, Coordinating Teacher, Clarke Street
"We have been collaborating with AWE on projects over the last few years. These projects, encompassing all the arts, have been very engaging and beneficial for our students. The application process is very user-friendly. We meet together and brainstorm ideas and media. then we fill out the simple application form. The focus of the project is explained in one short paragraph. Kari, the AWE Program Coordinator, then meets with us, helping to refine our focus and she finds artist(s) suitable to the project and to our particular student body. AWE supports us throughout the project via visits and emails. We always have an evaluating meeting with the artist(s) and Kari halfway through the project. The culminating event can be as simple as a talk-back with the artist(s) or as encompassing as a performance for the whole school. Parents are always included in the culminating activity. Our collaboration with AWE and their artists is so worth while that we highly recommend other teachers applying to AWE to engage their students in successful and memorable experiences." – Ms. Capozzi, Art Teacher and Ms. Quirk, Library/Tech Specialist, Robert M. LaFollette K-8 School
What ARTISTS have to say:
"As far as reaching the kids and giving them a lasting, educational, and important experience, we feel we accomplished that. We think we made a true impact on the school and how the community sees it as well. We feel this impact will create change and that we made an impression on the students and their connection with the power of art." –Reanna Ottoson, Lead Artist, St. Adalbert
What STUDENTS have to say:
"I learned how to draw and paint so if something happens you can sketch it out and it gives you a chance to think it through." – 8th grade student, Clarke Street School
"I got to know myself better and what I can do on this earth." – 7th grade student, Clarke Street School
(The most important thing I learned was) "That it’s ok to express yourself and if you challenge yourself, you might surprise yourself. People say ‘You’re stupid’, which happened to me a lot, and this made me feel like I could do anything. It taught me a lot about myself." – 7th grade student, Victory Italian Immersion School