VSA New York City
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18-05 215 Street, Suite 15N |
Dr. Bebe Bernstein |
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Tel.: (718) 225-6305 |
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Organizational Profile:
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Full-time Staff: 1 (unpaid) |
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VSA New York City, through a network of cultural and community partnerships within the public and private sectors of the city, provides quality arts education programs and creative expression experiences to thousands of children and their families who reside in the five boroughs of New York City. VSA New York City grants opportunities for people with disabilities to demonstrate their accomplishments in the arts and fosters increased understanding and acceptance.
Programming Partners and Other Funders:
New York City Department of Education; New York City Division of Special Education, District 75; New York City Public School Districts; Teachers College, Columbia University; St. John’s University; Mayor’s Office on People with Disabilities; New York City Hospital School Programs; Queens Museum of Art; Whitney Museum of Art; Programs for Visually Impaired Students; Schools for Career Development/Occupational Training Centers; Citywide Speech and language Services Department; Teachers College Services for Students with Disabilities; Arts Horizons; Fieldston School; Kids Project; Brooklyn Academy of Music, Frank Sinatra School of the Arts
Educational Programs and Artist Residencies
“The Many Worlds of New York City”
In 2010, VSA New York City will celebrate 35 years of work culminating with an International Festival. To reflect this event, VSA New York City programs and activities are planned in conjunction with VSA New York City’s 35th Anniversary year.
Art projects, programs and classroom activities based on the theme, “The Many Worlds of New York City. . . people, places, culture, arts, music”, were introduced at the beginning of the school year. Participants include thousands of pupils within inclusive organizations, school settings with special and typical classes, kindergarten to 12th grade. Programs will culminate in May-June 2010 with local and borough wide arts events – St. John’s University Festival, All City Arts Festival at Teachers College of Columbia University, and a Citywide Early Childhood Day - where participants demonstrate, display, exhibit, and perform. As required by the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), exit projects are held for each program. These events are planned as celebrations and educational experiences for students, professional staff and the public.
NYC Residencies
“Music With the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) - For the second year, VSA New York City will partner with the renowned BAM to implement a residency, that began in January 2010, at Middle School 159 to provide music experiences and activities for its special education unit. The culminating event includes attendance of the four classes at a BAM theater performance.
“The Sinatra Dance” - In the recently opened inclusive Frank Sinatra Center for the Arts” (Manhattan) - VSA New York City will initiate and provide a dance residency program beginning in March 2010 for two newly organized District 75 Citywide classes. A school activity/performance is projected at the conclusion as required by the Department of Education.
Early Childhood Initiatives “Express Yourself”
The New York City Early Childhood Initiatives program focuses on applying arts activities and experiences to achieve, as studies have shown, educational and social goals for an early childhood population. Goals include: readiness, reading and writing skills, self-expression, and socialization. The Express Yourself program activities will be conducted in three different neighborhood schools in Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn. The VSA’s Start with the ArtsTM educational resource is utilized for this program.
Programs for Youth
2010 highlights:
Intermediate students will participate in a variety of VSA New York City programs. Their contributions include: performing, exhibitions, directly assisting at events and in workshops with younger students as mentors at residences and educational programs.
A photo-op project is implemented in conjunction with students from St. John’s University’s Fine Arts Department.
The Fieldston School, a private school in Westchester, NY, brings more than 50 student volunteers to the VSA New York City event at Columbia University. The school has included their participation as an integral part of the school’s studies program and field time requirements.
The NYC Volunteer Corps comprises special education and city high school students trained by the VSA New York City volunteer coordinator. Additional volunteers include CVS/Pharmacy, seniors, store personnel, college students, artists, musicians, etc.
Professional Development and Technical Assistance
One Day Events
In order to meet the geographic challenge of this large city with its outlying boroughs, VSA New York City will continue a variety of professional development-oriented one-day events, in conjunction with its partners, to introduce new projects or reinforce existing ones. Planned workshops include festival sites, mural workshops, and museum training days. VSA New York City will represent a professional panel at the International Festival in June 2010.
New Dimensions Teacher Training Workshops
VSA New York City offers training sessions to introduce the classroom teacher to new techniques and a variety of art media for use in classes for children with disabilities. Artists will implement classroom workshops with students, e.g., computer art, and conduct follow-up sessions with the teacher at selected inclusive school sites.
Early Childhood Program: “Where We Live” Professional Development
A team of speech and language therapy specialists and artists assigned to each of the three residency sites will train classroom teachers, provide materials (including the VSA’s Start with the ArtsTM resource) through weekly one-day sessions, and develop a culminating event. Examples of possible culminating events include an interactive performance, an exhibition of pupil artwork, or an early childhood festival. The project will relate to the themes of neighborhoods, culture, people, music, utilizing stories, books, poetry, music, and visual arts aimed to develop readiness/language and social skills. Parent education is an important aspect of the residency.
Cultural Access and Inclusive Arts Services
“Murals on Parade”
In 2010, an exhibition of young students artwork from classes in each of the five boroughs will go on display at the outstanding Queens Museum of Art. The event will mark the opening of the VSA New York City murals program exhibit. The Queens Museum of Art is a totally accessible facility, recognized for its projects for children with disabilities across the city. After the display, the exhibition will become available to other sites in 2010.
VSA New York City and the Queens Museum Weekend Program
In 2010, a collaborative project is planned with the Museum’s Art Access Program. As part of the NYC Early Childhood Initiatives Program selected schools, their students, families, caregivers, and the public will participate in two weekend art activities workshops led by the museum staff and docents. The Art Access program was given an award of excellence by the VSA national office in 2009.
Public Awareness and Outreach
VSA New York City Murals Program and Annual Calendar
The annual VSA New York City calendar features murals created by classes in the five NYC boroughs. Completed murals are submitted for display at the VSA New York City Festivals and events. Following the exhibitions, a jury selects murals to be included in the annual calendar. The calendar is distributed to schools, organizations and elected officials. It serves as a major tool to increase public awareness and recognition of the contributions of students with disabilities through the arts, e.g., NYC Mayor’s Annual Event for People with Disabilities.
Public Awareness Campaign
In 2010, VSA New York City will continue to promote awareness and outreach to the five remove boroughs through its committees, senior and student volunteer network, annual theme posters, the VSA New York City calendars, exhibitions, fliers, e-mail, and events. The focus will be on publicizing VSA New York City Festivals, the Murals Program, exhibits, announcements of national VSA programs, and utilizing Web site listings such as the New York State Arts Alliance for Education’s VSA New York City link. Public Awareness will emphasize the VSA International Festival, and VSA New York City’s 2010 theme “The Many Worlds of NYC,” which will highlight it as an international city.
(F) 202-429-0868