Woodland Elementary School students and their families are the focus of this intergenerational project. Union county educators Joanne Barrett and Irene Mitta were awarded a $1,000 Hipp grant to complement the school community’s established celebration of cultural heritage.
With a focus on the patterns, designs and textiles from Central America, fifth-grade students will work with former students, ages 12-20, and adults from the district’s Picasso Parents group and community members in an after-school club. The club will meet to design visual works of art using targeted math skills such as patterning, measurement and geometry. A professional development workshop will be held to teach staff members how to use the targeted math skills for printing and patterning. Visual arts projects such as molas (Panama) and textile patterns (Mexico) will be created. Students will maintain a personal arts journal of techniques and patterns created.
The program will explore and analyze the various cultural heritage aspects of the countries of Central America.
A culminating event and art exhibit will give participants the opportunity to teach what they have learned to the larger school community.
For further information, contact:
Joanne Barrett
(908) 731-4283 (Woodland Elementary School)