Coming up taller : arts and humanities programs for children and youth at risk

168 Pages·1996·11.1 MB·English

by  Weitz, Judith

President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities
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Coming Up
Taller
Arts and Humanities Programs
for Children and Youth At Risk
ADVISORS
Jessica Davis Nancy Rogers
Research Associate ActingDirector
Project Zero Division ofPublic
Harvard University Programs
Graduate School of National Endowment
Education for the Humanities
Cambridge, MA Washington, DC
Diane Frankel William Strickland
Director Executive Director
Institute of Museum Manchester Craftsmen's
Services Guild
Washington, DC Pittsburgh, PA
Marianne Klink Ruby Takanishi
Federal Liaison Executive Director
National Endowment for Carnegie Council on
the Arts Adolescent Development
Washington, DC Washington, DC
Wayne Lawson Nancy Welch
Executive Director SeniorResearch Analyst
Ohio Arts Council Morrison Institute for
Columbus, OH Public Policy
Arizona State University
Frances Lucerna
Tempe, AZ
ArtisticDirector
El Puente Halima Williams
NY
Brooklyn, Co-ArtisticDirector
Living Stage Theatre
Ellen McCulloch-Lovell
Company
Executive Director Washington, DC
President's Committee
on the Arts and the Lynn Wright-Kernodle
Humanities Coordinator
Washington, DC MOTHEREAD Literacy
Development Program
Karen Pittman
North Carolina
Director of U.S. Programs
Humanities Council
International Youth Greensboro, NC
Foundation
Takoma Park, MD
Coming Up
Taller
Arts and Humanities Programs
for Children and Youth At Risk
by Judith Humphreys Weitz
President's Committee on
the Arts and the Humanities
With the National Assembly of
Local Arts Agencies
This project is funded by the
Anncox Foundation,
Botwinick-Wolfensohn Foundation,
Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation,
Nathan Cummings Foundation,
GE Fund and Harris Foundation.
April 1996
Photosonthe coverarefromthe followingorganizations:
Firstrow, lefttoright: LulaWashington ContemporaryDanceFoundation,
Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, BakehouseArtComplex.
Thirdrow, leftto right: The 52nd StreetProject, PrecitaEyesMuralArts Center.
Fourthrow, lefttoright: MERITMusic ProgramofChicago, TheWang Center
forthe PerformingArts, Washington StateHistorical Society, Capital Museum.
Fifthrow, lefttoright: Washington State Historical Society, CapitalMuseum,
SettlementMusic School, TheBrooklyn Children's Museum.
Back cover, toptobottom: OaklandYouthChorus, VermontCouncilon
theHumanities.
Copyright©1996 President's CommitteeontheArts andthe Humanities
Editor: ElizabethMurfee
Design: Beth Singer Design
Printing: Cavanaugh Press
ProfileResearch: NationalAssembly ofLocalArtsAgencies
Permission to copy, todisseminate orto otherwiseuseinformationfrom
this reportis grantedas longas appropriateacknowledgmentis given.
Copies ofthisreportcanbe orderedfromthe
President'sCommitteeon theArts and the Humanities
1100PennsylvaniaAvenue, NW, Suite 526
Washington, DC 20506
Phone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]
1
There is no way to fast forward and
know how the kids will look back on
this, but I have seen the joy in their
eyes and have heard it in their voices
and have watched them take a bow
I
and come up taller. 1
Willie Reale, artistic director ofThe 52nd StreetProject,
describingthe impact ofa theater program onyouth
living in "Hell's Kitchen," aneighborhood in NewYork City.1

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 6
CHAPTER ONE
I I
A Changed Environment for Children: A Status Report
CHAPTER TWO
15
Culture Counts: The Case for the Arts and the Humanities
in Youth Development
CHAPTER THREE 20
Transforming Lives: An Overview ofArts and Humanities Programs
CHAPTER FOUR 28
A Delicate Balance: Principles and Practices of Promising
Arts and Humanities Programs
CHAPTER FIVE 38
Looking Ahead: A Next-Step Agenda
CHAPTER SIX 41
Two Hundred Plus: Profiles ofArts and Humanities Programs
APPENDIX
153
State-by-State Index 154
A Note on Assessment 158
Notes 160
Acknowledgments 162
The Dance Ring DBA
NewYorkTheatre Ballet
—
Summary
and
Introduction
Coming Up Talleris areport poets, videographers,
filledwith hope, a narrative museum curators, dancers,
aboutyouth learning to musicians, muralists,
paint, sing, write plays and scholars and librarians.
poems, take photographs,
make videos and play The President's Committee
drums or violins. Here are believes strongly in the WHY THIS REPORT
stories ofchildren who learn importance ofincluding the In September 1994,
to dance, mount exhibi- arts and the disciplines of PresidentClintonannounced
tions, explore the history of the humanities in the the new members ofthe
their neighborhoods and school curriculum. This President's Committee on
write and print their own study looks at what hap- theArts andtheHumanities.
books. pens to young people when He and First Lady Hillary
they arenotin school Rodham Clinton, who
This report documents arts when they need adult serves as Honorary Chair of
and humanities programs supervision, safe places to the President's Committee,
in communities across go and activities that charged the Committee to
America that offer opportu- expand their skills and offer explore ways to enhance
nities for children and them hope. the availability ofthe arts
youth to learn new skills, and the humanities to
expand their horizons and The individual programs children, especially to
develop a sense of self, described in this studytake those at risk.
well-being and belonging. place in manylocations,
some unusual, in their com- "Too often today, instead of
Coming Up Taller is also an munities. Children, artists children discovering the
account ofthe and scholars come together joyful rewards ofpainting,
men and women at cultural centers, muse- or music, or sculpting, or
who share their ums, libraries, performing writing or testing a new
skills as they help arts centers and arts idea, they express them-
to shape the talents schools, to be sure. Arts selves through acts offrus-
of children and and humanities programs tration, helplessness, hope-
youth and tap their also are based at public lessness and evenviolence,"
hidden potentials. radio and television sta- noted Hillary Rodham
These dedicated individ- tions, parks and recreation Clinton in remarks to the
uals, often working long centers, churches, public President's Committee.
hours for little pay, are housing complexes, teen "We see too clearly how an
educators, social workers, centers, settlement houses erosion and a breakdown of
playwrights, actors, and Boys and Girls Clubs. our most cherished institu-
In places unnoticed by tions have resulted in a
mainstream media, acts of fraying of the whole social
commitment and achieve- fabric. We know that the
ment are evident every day. arts have the potential for
This report documents arts and humanities programs that are changing children's liues
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1995Drama
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obliterating the limits that the arts and the humani- impart new skills and Above Left:Settlement Music
are too often imposed on ties that reach at-risk chil- encourage new perspec- School. Above:TheWang
our lives. We know that dren and youth and to tives that begin to trans- Centerforthe Performing
Arts. Lower Left:Lula
they can take anyone, but describe the principles and form the lives ofat-risk
Washington Contemporary
particularly a child, and practices that make these children and youth.
Dance Foundation.
transport that child beyond programs effective.
the bounds that circum- B. Community arts and • Use innovative teaching
stance has prescribed." SUMMARY OF humanities programs pro- strategies such as hands-on
FINDINGS vide crucial "building learning, apprenticeships
The First Lady encouraged Coming Up Taller calls blocks" for children's and technology, often giving
the Committee to offer con- attention to the variety and healthy development. youth concretejob skills.
crete ideas "about howwe vitality ofpromising arts These programs:
• Emphasize excellence and
can provide children with and humanities programs
• Create safe places for expose children to quality
safe havens." She noted, for children and youth. It
children and youth where staffand programming.
"The arts and humanities also describes common
they can develop construc-
have the potential for being characteristics that these • Build on what youth
tive relationships with
such safe havens. In com- programs share. value and understand and
their peers.
munities where programs encourage voluntary partic-
A*
already exist, they are pro- Perhaps the most • Offer small classes with ipation.
viding soul-saving and life- distinguishing aspect of opportunities for youth to
• Establish clear expecta-
enhancing opportunities these programs is their develop close, interactive
tions and reward progress.
for young people." ability to take full advan- relationships with adults.
tage ofthe capacity ofthe • Maintain sustained, regu-
• Place a premium on giving
As a first step, the Presi- arts and the humanities to lar programs upon which
youth a chance to succeed
dent's Committee produced engage students. children can count and
as awayto build their sense
this report to identify Beginning with this provide youth with oppor-
ofworth and achievement.
community programs in engagement, programs tunities to be valued com-
munity members.
Through arts and humanities programs, youth tap hidden potentials and deuelop new skills.
C. The programs not only E* No two programs are limited staffand on small improve linkages among
provide youth with experi- alike. Each program budgets. Technical assis- cultural programs and
ence in the arts and the reflects its creator's mis- tance efforts, perhaps sup- other community institu-
humanities, but also deliver sion and its community's ported by the corporate tions would enhance coor-
needed support services. specific circumstances. sector, community founda- dinated responses to inter-
While establishing inde- The individuality of each tions or local arts and related problems.
pendent relationships with program is testimony to humanities councils, are
participants, they include this field's ingenuity. needed to strengthen their I* These arts and humani-
and work with parents. administrative and ties programs provide vivid
Fa The arts and humani- fund-raising capabilities. testimony on the difference
D. These arts and humani- ties programs in this report they make in children's
G*
ties programs teach youth are located primarily in Most program staffare lives. These programs doc-
howto navigate othernet- large cities. Many ofthem trained, primarily by more ument their activities,
works and advocate for were created in the mid- experienced program per- assess program strengths
youthwith other communi- 1980s. Most programs sonnel. Only one-third of and weaknesses, track the
tyinstitutions. operate with diverse but the programs provide on- progress ofindividual par-
going training. Initiatives ticipants and compare
should be developed to their goals with actual
enhance training and staff practices. A few programs
opportunities. For example, have documented, with
staff could learn from and some caveats, the positive
train at other programs. correlation between pro-
Travel grants, paid sabbati- gram participation and
cals, staffmentorship pro- cognitive development,
grams and performance interest in learning, moti-
exchanges could enrich vation, organization, self-
existing programs. perception and resiliency.
H* Partnerships provide J* With increased compe-
critical support, allowing tition for fewer resources,
limited staffto obtain the pressure to demon-
much-needed resources. strate results is increasing.
Most community arts and However, assessment takes
humanities programs time and money: commodi-
described in this report ties in short supply in
were initiated by arts or these programs.
humanities organizations. Community arts and
Manchester Craftsmen's Guild However, they operate in humanities programs need
partnerships with other financial support and guid-
institutions such as ance to develop assess-
schools, universities, youth ment tools that measure
organizations, churches, impact and improve pro-
businesses and health, gram practices.
housing and social service
agencies. Strategies to
flits and humanities programs provide crucial "building blocks" for the healthg deuelopment of at-risk youth.