Connect for Kids / Child Advocacy 360 / Youth Policy Action Center - Arts Programs

The Kids Carpentry Program

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:20:55 -0600

Kids’ Carpentry is a year-round after school program designed especially for boys and girls, kindergarten through the sixth grade. Since 1982 we have been teaching kids the safe use of woodworking hand tools. Children work together and independently on boats, trucks, bird feeders, clocks, doll furniture, airplanes, games and many other projects. In addition to the fun these kids have, they also gain quality experiences in measuring, applied mathematics such as fractions, and hands-on experience with a variety of carpentry tools. By visualizing, planning and building projects, children develop valuable abstract reasoning capabilities and fine motor skills. Children can select from a wide range of project choices supplied by the teacher and are also encouraged to design and build based on their own needs and imaginations. Our Socratic style of teaching empowers the children to become good problem-solvers and independent thinkers!

Leonardo�s Basement: Hands-On Haven for Kids

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 09:28:23 -0500

Imagine it. Plan it. Make it. That�s the basic formula for the popular after-school and summer classes offered by Leonardo�s Basement, a Minneapolis, Minn. program started by hands-on guy Steve Jevning seven years ago. Harvey Meyer takes a look.

YouthARTS Toolkit for At-Risk Youth

Mon, 25 Jul 2005 13:38:24 -0500

The YouthARTS Web site is designed to give arts agencies, juvenile justice agencies, social service organizations, and other community-based organizations detailed information about how to plan, run, provide training, and evaluate arts programs for at-risk youth.

Young Poets Share Their Culture

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:09:17 -0500

Seven teenage American Indian poets recently found out what it's like to teach—and have an audience of pupils willing to learn. Now, they share their lessons with Connect for Kids. By Rob Capriccioso.

Lights, Camera...Activism

Mon, 13 Dec 2004 15:39:36 -0600

When four women from a poor Milwaukee neighborhood documented their lives on camera for two weeks, the result was an eloquent portrait of their community�and a change in the women themselves. Connect for Kids has awarded the resulting documentary, My Family, My Neighborhood, My Story, the first-ever Fight Family Poverty Award. Caitlin Johnson spoke with the initiators of the project. Read her story, then watch the film from your computer.

Arts and Youth Development: Listen & Look

Mon, 29 Nov 2004 07:36:24 -0600

The arts not only help children achieve in all areas of development, but they can help revitalize entire communities. Listen and look at successful arts programs, in audio and video.

Creating Writers

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:52:53 -0500

The summer of 2000, Caitlin Johnson volunteered in a language arts summer school class for 6th graders in Alexandria, Virginia, she left convinced that helping kids become confident writers is a critical job—and a tough one.

Six Steps to Teaching A Child to Appreciate Performing Arts

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 14:56:38 -0600

Learn how to help your child—or any child—learn to appreciate the performing arts, and help promote a lifelong appreciation of cultural events and activities.

VH1 Save the Music

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:35:15 -0600

Due to funding cuts, as many as one-third of this nation's public school music programs have been dropped in recent years—and budget crunches have placed many more programs throughout the country in serious jeopardy.

Understanding Youth Development: An Interview with Karen Pittman

Wed, 24 Aug 2005 10:31:56 -0500

Training in music and arts should be considered as important for kids as cognitive development asserts sociologist Karen Pittman. Learn more in this article from journalist Susan Kellam.