Introducing Picasso Project’s ArtsEdAtHome Guide

Philadelphia’s Leading Arts Education Funder Fills Void In Harried Online Instruction Efforts During COVID Shutdown

Overwhelmed parents and educators in the region get thoughtful, practical help from PCCY’s Arts Education At Home guide

PHILADELPHIA (April 14, 2020) – Parents are struggling with suddenly having to homeschool children, sifting through endless links and videos in search of what and how to teach at home. School districts are scrambling to provide online instruction, but the vast majority are missing a critical element of student success: Arts Education.

Fortunately, PCCY has produced an online Arts Education guide that takes a measured, practical approach to help parents and educators support creative learning while schools remain closed during the Covid shutdown. It’s called #ArtsEdAtHome, made possible through the generous support of Wells Fargo Foundation.

“I was so relieved when I saw #ArtsEdAtHome,” said Elizabeth Aimee, an artist, mom, and a Picasso Project Volunteer. “As a parent working from home, it’s really helpful to have a guide that makes it easy to keep kids engaged in art at home.”

#ArtsEdAtHome, a curated selection of free arts education resources is organized by artistic discipline: general art/virtual field trips, visual arts, music, dance/movement, and theater/poetry, is available for download now and some eager parents and teachers are already starting to post works from their young artists.

“It’s incredible to watch 30 kids in their own spaces all doing the same dance, or singing the same song together in this disconnected time,” said South Philly parent and music teacher at Mastery Thomas Elementary, Delia Rabb. Rabb has been conducting music classes using a video conferencing platform since the day schools closed and attest to the difference art can make, especially now. “It seems super necessary. I think it’s such a good outlet for the kids, and just something that can be so low pressure for them to connect together!”

PCCY started hearing from teachers, suddenly needing to engage with their students virtually, who told him the focus on so-called core subjects left them in many cases without guidance. Gibbon, an artist, educator, and father, himself, could easily relate.

“Access to arts education is critical, especially in this time of social distancing and disruption of normalcy,” said Tim Gibbon, PCCY’s arts education guru and director of The Picasso Project. “Through the arts, kids can stay connected, use their imaginations to access a more positive reality, and process any stress and anxiety that they may be experiencing.”

Since 2002, PCCY’s Picasso Project, the largest arts funder for the District, has provided nearly 50,000 Philadelphia children access to innovative arts projects through strategic grants to their schools.

The #ArtsEdAtHome guide can be found on PCCY’s COVID TOOLKIT FOR PARENTS: childrenfirstpa.org/COVID

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