 |
Our Mission
Our mission is to transform underserved schools into vibrant communities where learning is celebrated by enlivening teachers’ and students’ educational experiences with the in-depth study of an art form.
Our History
Working Playground (WP) is a not-for-profit cultural organization that was founded in 1991, by Amy Poux, with the belief that art is essential to human development, education and culture. Through a dynamic range of programs including theater, playwriting, animated video production, documentary and film, fashion, product design, instrument building, science cartooning, dance performance and spoken word, Working Playground empowers youth to develop the creative and analytic impulses that will serve them as students, professionals and citizens.
Since 1991, Working Playground has created partnerships with schools and communities by implementing art programs that enable youth, many of whom are struggling with reading and writing, to better understand essential academic content while exploring new tools to support their social and emotional development. Over the past fifteen years, WP’s theater, video, visual arts, dance, design, poetry, and music education programs have visited over 250 New York City public schools and engaged more than 30,000 young people, teachers and community members. WP's inquiry-based pedagogy challenges young people to become active learners, eager to exercise critical thinking, leadership and creative skills.
With over a decade of experience in improving the lives of young people, Working Playground has become a highly respected institution in New York City and has received ongoing funding from The National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on The Arts, 21st Century Community Learning Centers and The Department of Cultural Affairs. The New York State Council on the Arts has honored Working Playground with an Award of Merit for forging innovative arts partnerships in New York City schools. 82% of our budget is spent directly on our programs.
Urban Arts Partnership Program
The Urban Arts Partnership Program creates rigorous, engaging and pro-social school communities through a multi-layered integration of the arts. The program is designed to create enduringarts programming in public schools committed to integrating the arts into their culture. The UAP model offers two tiers of arts programming: Arts Integration and Studio/After School programs. The in school Arts Integration program gives students new and unique opportunities to succeed in school by providing alternative ways to learn and express knowledge of academic subject matter through the study of an art form. The After-School program provides a safe and nurturing environment where students focus on building transferable skills (discipline, collaboration, inquiry, and reflection), constructively socialize, study and create meaningful art. A school community with an Urban Arts Partnership Program will experience higher attendance rates, a reduction in violent incidents and a stronger sense of community for students, teachers and parents. By integrating the arts into the academic school day and after school settings, WP seeks to engage non-traditional learners by helping them to understand curricular content, providing teachers with alternative ways of presenting academic subject matter, and inspiring students to build community. Each residency is aligned with the Department of Education’s Curriculum Blueprint for The Arts and with New York State Standards appropriate to the discipline.
|
|
