Last year, the Student Art Club (SAC) Lunch program made its debut at the elementary level in the Lawndale District. Six schools received 30 weeks of Visual Arts programming for TK-5th grade during lunch time. This P.S. ARTS program began in middle schools and was designed to combat social isolation and provide a safe and creative space for students to build community while creating art. It proved very successful, and we were thrilled to expand into elementary schools! Would it have the same success? Will we be able to fill the tables?
Yes! And more! The program proved successful beyond our expectations. Our talented Teaching Artists were able to bring a variety of projects that explored different cultures, mediums, and materials. Students, as young as TK, were exposed to worlds and materials they might not have otherwise had access to. They were able to experiment, play, and create for themselves and take home a finished drawing, painting, sculpture, and design. Teaching Artists created a curriculum that introduced basic motor skills to advanced skills such as weaving and sewing. Some students even had the opportunity to design and sew together their own plushies!
The success from the first year propelled us to return for the 2025-2026 school year for another 30 weeks. Not only were we welcomed with the same enthusiasm, this time around, student involvement almost doubled! Our two tables turned to three at some schools – the overflow of participation, a beautiful reminder that art is crucial and a needed subject in schools. The program is now reaching its 6th week in the Lawndale Elementary School District, and we look forward to continuing to positively impact the youth, while nurturing our future creatives!
