Arts and the Child
Every child is born with an innate love for singing, painting, and dancing—yet societal pressures often suppress this creative spark at an early age. Arts and the Child rekindles that joy while empowering students to nurture the next generation. Through a blend of theory, hands-on art making, and cross-cultural community engagement, this program explores how the arts and nature foster resilience, learning, and holistic development in children.
Program Highlights
- Cultural Wisdom: Learn time-honored Eastern (e.g., Chinese calligraphy, Indian mandala arts) and progressive (Waldorf, Montessori) approaches, alongside Western and Indigenous traditions, to arts-based education and ecological awareness.
- Developmental Science: Track children’s growth from conception through adolescence, examining how rhythm, movement, outdoor play, and nutrition shape cognitive and emotional health.
- Transformative Practice: Weekly art and journaling, studio work, and field experiences (including guerrilla gardening, nature observation, and volunteering with youth) merge personal creativity with global community partnerships.
Learning Modalities
- Hybrid remote format: 4 hrs/week of live seminars (Zoom) + 16 hrs of independent research, art projects, and reflection (Canvas).
- Collaborative projects with peers and grassroots/international partners (e.g., pen-pal art exchanges with schools abroad).
Who Should Enroll?
Future educators, parents, artists, and advocates seeking to:
✓ Deepen creativity and health through nature and art.
✓ Design inclusive, earth-connected learning environments.
✓ Build bridges between local and global communities.
Logistics
- Materials: Textbook + basic art supplies (e.g., watercolors, natural clay).
- Credits: 4 (Childhood Education), 2 (Health Practices), 2 (Arts in Early Childhood).
Key Question: How can reclaiming creativity rooted in nature, culture, art, and community help our children and us thrive in a fractured world?