High School Learning Center 2005

C-PP's High School Learning Center & Rockwell Museum Collaboration Brings Creative Results
Special Student Display at the Rockwell through March 31, 2005

March 17, 2005

CORNING, N.Y., March 17, 2005 - 'Identity and the Artist', a special art exhibition created by students of the Corning-Painted Post Area School District's High School Learning Center (HSLC) is currently on display at the Rockwell Museum of Western Art and will run through March 31, 2005. The exhibition incorporates mixed media collages, papier-mache masks and writing samples about personal and cultural identity.

The HSLC and the Rockwell Museum collaborated on the innovative curriculum that inspired this creative student art exhibit, integrating the arts with art education, American history and the English language arts. The project engaged students in hands-on activities to examine personal and socially complex issues like identity, genocide and stereotyping. Students used these experiences to reflect upon themselves and to create their own works of art and writing.

"For inspiration, we used works in the Museum's collection by contemporary Native American artists who were exploring their identity and culture through their art," says Gigi Alvare, Senior Museum Educator. "The students worked on their art pieces over the course of several weeks and the results are tremendous."

"This project gave our students the opportunity to grow through another form of communication, while gaining a better understanding of themselves, their history and the community,' says HSLC Head Teacher Margie VanVleet. "The professionalism and quality modeled by the Rockwell staff made this a welcoming experience for our students and opened their eyes to a fun and educational community resource."

"We learned how to communicate about ourselves in a different way, to explain who we are without having to say it in words," adds HSLC student Amanda Cussins. "The museum tour helped me to see the struggles of the Native Americans - I really look up to them. The staff at the Rockwell also made it fun to 'do' art!"

The HSLC is collaboration among C-PP, Corning Community College (CCC), the local business community and the U.S. Dept. of Education. In the past two years, the program has become one of the District's most innovative and successful programs. The HSLC program reaches out to the District's most disconnected students, many of whom had dropped out or were on the verge of dropping out of the traditional high schools. The alternative program features a culture that emphasizes positive, respectful relationships and a curriculum that is directly aligned with Quantum Leap's Learning Goals of Rigor, Relevance and Relationships.

The HSLC connects students to the real world, balancing work experiences with rigorous academics that meet all District and State learning standards. To date, HSLC Students have logged over 2000 hours of community service, 65 local employers have mentored/hired HSLC students and 50 percent of HSLC's graduates are now attending college. Most importantly, the program has provided its students with self-confidence, hope for the future and a desire to set personal goals and achieve them.

The Rockwell Museum of Western Art now more than ever serves as an educational resource to the community. In 2001, the Rockwell Museum's Educational Department launched an integrated learning program in partnership with area teachers. Our education program engages students, Kindergarten through High School, in an interactive observation of artwork. The Museum's program of student tours and activities are designed to support teachers in the delivery of the New York State Learning Standards and trigger the interest of students in core subjects including Language Arts, Social Studies, U.S. History, and Science. Last year, nearly 4,000 children participated in the multi-faceted arts education program and will continue to grow in 2005.