SC Arts Commission Grants for Individual Artists

A joint initiative of the South Carolina Arts Commission, Communities in Schools of South Carolina, and the South Carolina Afterschool Alliance

Key Characteristics and Components of Arts in After School Programs

Note: These recommendations are arts-programming specific. We assume that all other elements of after school programming are in place (transportation, snacks, general staffing, etc. are givens). The key characteristics and components are organized into the following categories: Staff, Content, Procedures, Evaluation, and Resources.

Staff

• Regular Staff
  

  • Willing and able to work collaboratively with artists
  • Oriented / trained regarding the intent and philosophy of arts programming

• Artist Staff

  • Qualified by demonstrated skills and accomplishments in a particular arts discipline
  • Willing and able to collaborate with school staff
  • Willing, trained and capable of working with youth
  • Whenever possible, from local community to foster opportunities for long-term engagement and mentoring.
  • Student / Artist Ratio: Ratio should be age and arts discipline appropriate. General recommendation is (no more than) 15:1.

• Training

  • Reciprocal training, where artist and staff build each other’s capacity and develop shared goals and approaches.
  • Cooperative program design between teachers and artists that helps students meet state academic standards and maintains artistic integrity.
  • Culturally competent / sensitive training

Content

• Student-driven, based on student interests and initiative

• Provides opportunities to apply academic skills where appropriate, consistent with state academic standards
• Developmentally / age appropriate
• Entrepreneurial in approach—arts projects can function like businesses and can become businesses
• Fun, engaging, goal oriented
• Culturally appropriate, competent, and sensitive (the program should be connected with the culture of the community whenever possible and appropriate.)
• Opportunity for students to perform or showcase their work.
• When appropriate, content should be linked to the school day and the community. (Specifically, local arts organizations, ongoing school programs and curricula, etc.)
• Focus on "doing art" not just learning about art. (students are engaged as artists)
• Program should have goals and objectives that balance work toward state academic standards with artistic outcomes

Procedures

• Collaborative process between staff, artist and students
• Collaborative relationship / partnership with the community
• Emphasis on creating long-term relationships between artist and students
• Youth should have the opportunity (choice) to showcase and celebrate their work
• Continuous student / peer-driven critique, improvement and reflection opportunities
• Pre / post assessments should be used to:
  • assess and monitor the goals and objectives of the program
  • assist student driven continuous improvement regarding their art
• Efforts should be made to ensure the visibility and PR of the program
• Time management: Primary focus is to maximize the time students are actually engaged in learning/doing art.

Evaluation

• Students: Reflective process of continuous improvement (the quality of student work should not be used to "evaluate" the program; however, student artist should have an ongoing opportunity to reflect on their process and continually critique and improve there art.)
• Program: Quality / delivery (Efforts should be made to evaluate the quality of the program. Indicators such as:
• student attendance and qualitative evaluations
• parent feedback and satisfaction
• artist, staff, and partners feedback and satisfaction)
• Allow time for long-term academic outcomes to be achieved: Research shows that arts programming can improve students’ performance in many different academic areas; however, these outcomes are not immediate.
• Evaluation should be tied to the values, goals and objectives of the program (pre/post assessments)

Resources

• Programs must be designed to be sustainable, not dependent on long-term, high levels of "extra" funding, in order to have long-term impact for students
• Design programs that are effective, realistic, relevant to the community, but also visionary, not "stunted" by immediate limits of resources
• Strategic use of seed money
• Need to utilize / identify existing resources
• Community support (involvement & ownership)
• Partnerships with community organizations, artists, and individuals
• Parents
• Local foundations
• Appropriate supplies and facilities for art forms (e.g.., sinks for art, resilient floor for dance)
• PR / advocacy to inform supporters and encourage long-term support
• Student work can be used in an entrepreneurial ways to generate funds
• Should be "organic", growing from the community and not overly dependent on outside resources or personnel. Resources start with the local community and move outward to regional, state, and federal sources.