In-School Programs

For more information about our In-School Programs, contact:

Jessica Bailey
jessica.bailey@wingspanarts.org

As we strive to fulfill our mission of connecting students to the arts and the arts to life, Wingspan is dedicated to providing custom designed programming for every school or organization we work with. For that reason, very few programs look alike, and as our in-school relationships keep growing so do our vastly different models for school partnerships. Wingspan’s current in-school programs range from arts electives to arts integration, from arts-based physical education to professional development for classroom teachers.

The collaboration begins as a Wingspan program director meets with a school leader to see what the arts education needs of the school are. This is done through conversation, reviewing current curriculum, and discussing students’ prior knowledge. When planning a program, we consider national and state standards, in addition to specific arts standards such as those outlined in The New York City Blueprint for the Arts. The same collaborative quality continues as Wingspan teaching artists go into the school to work with staff and students. Our hope is that when we collaborate with a school, we become a part of that school’s community.


Participating Schools






Examples of recent programs include:


Hip Hop Dance/Social Studies and Drama Integration, 7th Grade

Greenwich Village Middle School (GVMS)
Manhattan


Twice a week, 7th graders at GVMS experience the elements of dance through Hip Hop. A Teaching Artist introduces students to old school and new Hip Hop dance moves like popping, locking, hitting, jamming and break dance. Students learn a choreographed piece performed as a class, as well as develop their own combinations in small groups.

Wingspan Arts expanded the Social Studies and Drama Integration program to seventh graders for GVMS. Following the same model of improvisation, monologues and playwriting, students use middle school social studies content as inspiration.


Music Appreciation/Choir, 6th-8th Grades

The Clinton School for Artists and Writers
Manhattan

Throughout the school year, each Clinton student will participate in a trimester-long Choir & Music Appreciation class. Three times per week, students sing their way through warm-ups and ensemble work, exploring everything from Gregorian chants to popular hits. Activities include class presentations on musicians and choral performances at school events, showcasing the musical arrangements students have learned.


Social Studies and Drama Integration, 4th Grade
Lower Lab School, P.S. 77
Manhattan


Once a week, the 4th graders at Lower Lab School examine their social studies content though the lens of the dramatic arts. The Wingspan Drama Integration program helps reveal the relevance of social studies to student life. Developing characters rooted in historical fact, students will engage in improvisation, monologue and playwriting units, creating personal connections to the rich content. At the end of the year, all their hard work hits the stage in a play written and performed entirely by the students.


Arts Electives Program, 6th-8th Grades
Learning Community Charter School (LCCS)
Jersey City, New Jersey


Every Monday morning, Teaching Artists travel to LCCS to lead an arts-elective program for the entire middle school. Students choose from such classes as Ballroom Dance, Hip Hop, Step, Poetry, Printmaking, Filmmaking and Afro-Caribbean Drumming. Each class culminates in an end-of-semester performance for the LCCS community.


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Sample Program Descriptions


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