Posted by Lauren Grossberg on Mon, Mar 22, 2010
Art is a great way for students to express their own creativity and ideas. For students with special needs, it provides them with a chance to do just that.
Hernando County ESE students in Brooksville, Fl collaborated with professional artists through a grant-funded program to create their very own artwork. The artists came to one of the three schools participating where they visited and taught students about art.
"Hand 'n Hand," is the name of the program, which was a collaborative effort between the Hernando County School District and VSA arts of Florida. The program is funded by a grant from the Community Foundation of Hernando County.
VSA advocates learning, enjoyment and participation in the arts for the disabled. By pairing students with artists, this enjoyment of the arts can be achieved.
The artists participating in this program find it challenging, yet rewarding once they have built that relationship with the students to create a masterpiece. Not only do the students get to build their artistic skills but they get to build their concentration skills, too. They get another opportunity to learn. This is important because children, especially those with special needs, all learn in different ways.
Many of the artists involved with the program want people can see that these kids are capable of doing the same activities that the other kids do. They get creative and use new and innovative art projects when working with the students.
The whole purpose of the program is to showcase the art of the special needs students. After the completion of the program the art is displayed for members of the community to see. Since the students love art, this is a great way for them to learn about it and feel rewarded for their hard work.
Photo By: Jose Kevo
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