By May Woo, Education & Programs Getty Intern
Every summer, The Getty Foundation funds a Multicultural Undergraduate Internship program for students to work full-time at Los Angeles-area museums and visual arts organizations. P.S. ARTS is incredibly fortunate to be included in this program and to have the opportunity to work with talented, young people interested in the field of arts education. We are thrilled to have May as a part of our team this summer!
Where has the time gone? It’s hard to believe that this week marks the halfway point in my summer internship here at P.S. ARTS as the Education & Programs Getty Intern. These past five weeks have seemingly flown by, but at the same time, I feel so welcomed and comfortable here that it seems like I’ve been here longer!
I am currently a student at Tufts University in Boston, studying biology and studio art and hoping to pursue a career that meshes these two passions. I was drawn to P.S. ARTS through this internship after recalling the lack of art classes offered at my elementary school. As someone who loved drawing since the age of three, I was fortunate enough to have parents who nurtured this passion by enrolling me in private art lessons – something that I believe has allowed me to form a stronger understanding of my identity and see the world in a multidimensional way. Therefore, working in arts education, a field that makes art accessible to people of all backgrounds and abilities, immediately sparked my interest, and I could not be happier to be involved in an organization whose mission is so in line with my personal beliefs.
My very first day on the job was spent at the annual TakePART in Art Festival, which was a fun, engaging way to get acquainted with P.S. ARTS. Since then, it has been an exciting whirlwind of projects, events, and responsibilities that have often made me want to work in the office past 5:30. Now that’s a first!
My main focus during the past few weeks has been to research iPad integration into the art classroom, as P.S. ARTS will acquire 32 iPad Minis for use in our classes starting this fall. Most of my time has been spent searching for a variety of applications and brainstorming ways to incorporate them into the existing curriculum toolkits for dance, music, theater, and visual arts. I have really come to appreciate how groundbreaking iPads can be in education, as they can make classes run more efficiently, engage students on another level, and bridge gaps in achievement, all while teaching students about safe and secure use of technology. This project has also given me an appreciation for the online community of educators who share and exchange their ideas for technology-integrated art lessons. It is very exciting to see how this shift toward digital learning is gaining popularity among art educators, and to see how iPads seamlessly align arts with the Common Core initiative.
In addition to the iPad integration research, I have also been creating To Go! projects, which are art activities for kids and families to try at home. Each project is inspired by a famous artist and masterwork, and therefore provides a brief art historical lesson alongside a hands-on activity. Looking up artists and adapting their works to kid-friendly projects has definitely reawakened the artist within me! I am also working to create instructional videos to accompany each To Go! project in hopes of making directions more clear. By the end of the summer, I’ll be a pro at making stop motion videos.
Additionally, I have been updating our Pinterest account with local, family-oriented arts events for the summer. In another board, I’ve also linked many of the iPad apps I came across during my research.
Every meeting, task, and activity that makes up my day in the office has been an incredible learning experience. I remember feeling overwhelmed during my first week here because I was so amazed at the vast scope and reach of P.S. ARTS’ work! It is inspiring to see how this organization, staffed by a dedicated and hardworking team, has been able to accomplish so much and serve so many in the community.
I am extremely grateful for this experience to be a part of this amazing organization, and to work alongside such inspiring and knowledgeable mentors. I am excited to see what’s in store for the rest of my summer here, and I hope to continue learning and growing throughout this internship. Thank you Getty Foundation, and most of all, thank you P.S. ARTS!
