Masha Raj

KRIS Wine: “Art of Education” 2012 Winners

Posted by Masha Raj, Sep 06, 2013 0 comments


Masha Raj

Masha Raj Masha Raj

September is the beginning of a new academic year for students, parents, and teachers - and also when we announce our new season of arts education initiatives and competitions!

This fall we are partnering again with KRIS Wine for the fourth annual Art of Education programKRIS, a brand of Winebow, Inc., will award 16 schools in the United States a total of $25,000 in grants to improve academic achievement through quality arts education.  As more than half of the states continue to cut arts education budgets, every extra dollar towards arts education from our corporate partners like KRIS Wine helps.

Last fall, consumers and arts advocates also selected 16 schools during KRIS Wine’s Art of Education contest.  $25,000 was traditionally disseminated to winning schools in various states, ranging from California to New York and all over the country.  KRIS Wine’s investment has made all the difference for the following top winners:

Brunswick Acres; Brunswick, NJ

Brunswick Acres was the top awarded school in the KRIS wine Art of Education program.  The Art of Education experience has helped to bring the entire school together while they competed for the winning prize, inspiring a sense of community that endured throughout the school year.  “I am blessed to be able to work with amazing students, parents, and colleagues who were so dedicated to helping us win this grant,” said art teacher Suzanne Tiedemann. “This donation from KRIS Wine will go a long way in helping supplement our significantly cut art budget for years to come.

With the $5,000 award, the school purchased four brand new iPads for the arts program, which students now utilize to experiment with art in digital space.  The iPads help Brunswick Acres to meet and successfully exceed their 21st century learning requirements from their district.  Additionally the school purchased a color printer for the school community to use as well as supplementary art supplies that otherwise could not have been afforded.

Paideia School 15; Yonkers, NY

In order to decide how to allocate the funding, Tiffany Soares, 5th grade teacher, met with a group of parent volunteers.  Together, they came up with the idea to bring 2 artists from the community to teach, interact with, and perform for the students to provide the opportunity for the entire school to benefit from the funding.  The artistic experiences correlated with the school-wide academic curriculum and the students learned that art is a valuable part of the community.

Michael Albert, a modern pop artist, spent two full days at Paideia School 15 talking to a school-wide assembly about his professional experience as an artist and working with students to create art from recycled materials that students brought from home.  Alvin Ailey, a famous choreographer and dancer, brought a college-aged troupe of dancers to perform for the students. The dancers also spoke to students about artistic expression and the appreciation for dance that they acquired through their college education.

Cascade K-8 Community School; Shoreline, WA

Cascade K-8 Community School used most of the awarded funding to create paintings and murals for the Cherry Blossom festival in April, 2013.  Each of the 150 students who attend the school participated to create the art for the festival.  Paint is extremely expensive, and according to art teacher Mike Callahan, the school would not have been able to afford enough materials to create such an extensive project for the festival.

Hammer Montessori at Galarza Elementary; San Jose, CA

When deciding on how to spend the award money, the Hammer Montessori strived to create a school-wide project that would represent healthy living and value of community.  They achieved this by taking part in the 2013 Student Arts Festival: Creating Wellness through the Arts.  Their school project entitled “Our Community Blooms” was a multimedia venture that combined textile design and poetry performances.  It focused on community wellness and addressed the importance of nature in students’ lives.

Polaris Charter School, Manchester; NW

The funding from KRIS Wine allowed Polaris Charter School to purchase brand new art supplies for a brand new school.  This new charter school houses only 60 students, and with such small student population the award benefited every student.  The school expanded their art supplies beyond just purchasing crayon and paper. They added more advanced art materials and invited a volunteer artist to direct students’ art projects, inspiring their creativity.

The 12 other winning schools used KRIS Wine awards to purchase much-needed supplies, help implement hands-on projects, and engage students in arts education activities that would have not been possible otherwise.

The 2013 Art of Education contest is starting on September 9th. Visit KRIS Wine’s facebook page to vote everyday between September 9 and October 31, and share with your friends! Help mobilize parents, students, PTA, administration, and your community. Be prepared to answer the question - how would YOU have your favorite school spend $5,000?

 

Please login to post comments.