The ¡CityArts! blog presents the EDTAP Success Series.  Follow our five full-time AmeriCorps Expanded Day Teaching Artists as they use art to help teach math, reading, social studies, and more at two Providence middle schools, Roger Williams MS and Nathan Bishop MS.

“This month, I have had the pleasure of teaching Peace Painting as a section of Lending a Creative Hand project at ¡CityArts! on Broad Street.  After visiting the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence, the peace painters created work that defined their unique visions of peace and community. They worked in groups, led each other, and coordinated their own murals that will be hung in the Institute to inspire their peers to choose peace.”

2012-12 AmeriCorps Full-time EDTAP Member

“After a lot of practice learning guitar, many of my students were thrilled to receive their very own guitars as Christmas gifts. Returning to school after break, they brought with them a greater enthusiasm to study the instrument. Here Karen performs a cover version of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” for her 4th period music class.”

2011-12 Full-Time EDTAP Member

“Regina plays different themes on the keyboard in the MAX Room to represent distinct emotions.* The MAX program provides a reward for students who have shown proof of personal success in academics or behavior. In the MAX room students complete art/music projects based on ongoing work in an academic subject by grade level.”

2011-12 Full-Time EDTAP Member

*See the cards on the keyboard? Andrew came up with easy-to-learn combinations of notes to represent different emotions. The class favorite?  Students kept trying to scare each other with “Afraid” – the 2-note Jaws theme!

EDTAP member Victoria Rey gives us a glimpse into the Roger Williams music room.

“Each Thursday, I’ve had the pleasure of working with six flute players during fifth period. Since we’ve began, the girls have gone from struggling to make a sound to being able to play full songs. I am so excited to see how far they will go musically in the remaining weeks of the quarter!”

2011-12 Full-time AmeriCorps EDTAP member

“This past month I’ve worked with the 8^th grade art classes to produce a research based political poster project.   Students researched a topic of their choice to find facts and images, and then to formulate an opinion on an issue relevant to them.  Some topics chosen were gang violence, racism, and Occupy Providence.  They experimented with printmaking, typography, and stenciling to compile their ideas into one succinct poster.  Students tried new techniques and expressed developed ideas; I’m so proud of all the hard work they did for this project!”

2012-12 AmeriCorps Full-time EDTAP Member

The ¡CityArts! blog presents the EDTAP Success Series.

Follow our five full-time AmeriCorps Expanded Day Teaching Artists (EDTAP) as they use art to help teach math, reading, social studies, and more at two Providence middle schools, Roger Williams MS and Nathan Bishop MS.

In this post, EDTAP member Caitlin Magner (pictured at right, after school at ¡CityArts! on Broad Street) tells us about her recent project at Roger Williams MS.

“In Mrs. Cappalli’s current events class, we painted an anti-gang violence mural on Roger Williams MS’s retaining wall, which faces a basketball court, a preschool, and a high school.

We presented the mural in a Providence citywide competition at the State House and placed 2^nd!  We were the only middle school to compete against other high schools and still won.

I am so fortunate to be working with such a wonderful group and am looking forward to our future successes.”

2011-12 AmeriCorps Full-time EDTAP Member

Some masterpieces look good enough to…eat?

After a session of so many bowls, one young artist makes the inevitable move to clay cuisine. Photo taken at Fall Teachbacks and courtesy of the lovely Katelyn LaMay.

In this post, EDTAP member Andrew Watts (pictured above) shares a snapshot from his work during AfterZone time with the Providence After School Alliance (PASA):

“Joseph displays his original graphic musical score during the Arts Explosion PASA class at Nathan Bishop Middle School before a student performance.”

Andrew Watts, 2011-2012 AmeriCorps Full-time EDTAP member

Ms. Taleen’s Fashion Design class is pinning, stitching, and hemming away for their fall fashion show, to premiere next week at the Fall Session Teachbacks.

(Photos courtesy of  fantastic volunteer Melanie Masarin)