This story is part of the Arts and Culture Reporting Corps, sponsored by the Springfield Regional Arts Council.
Ah, summer. Time for sleeping late, trips to the lake and questionable neighborhood fireworks. Summer can also be a time for area youth to build lifelong skills and expand their horizons through the arts — it’s true!
Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield offers programming year-round that covers several areas, such as health and wellness, character and leadership, and the arts. This summer in particular offers unique arts opportunities thanks to a partnership with Springfield Regional Arts Council.
The Growing Up In The Arts program through SRAC exists to connect area youth with artists who can share their skills. Children in grades K-8 can experience hands-on exposure to all art forms — visual art, dance, music, film, and performance.
Because the clubs serve kids for a longer day in the summer — 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. vs. typical sessions before and after school during the school year — there are more hours to plan and more supplies required. Programming partnerships are beneficial for staff and for members, according to Niki Kiruki, Director of Programming and Prevention for the clubs.
“It’s important to provide unique opportunities for our members,” Kiruki said. “We pride ourselves on providing a high-quality club experience, where members can experience different things. Some members may have issues with self-esteem or working together or finding friends, so having an arts program where they can work together on a project or film or dance, it’s amazing that they can say ‘I have a new friend,’ or ‘I have a new skill, and I learned that here at the club’ — that’s priceless.”
Member survey guided program selection
Before the summer session began, club staff conducted a survey to ask members what types of activities they would be interested in. As a result, the summer Arts Council partnership at the clubs includes a variety of options:
- Weekly 1-hour visual arts classes at each unit and professional development to empower Club staff
- Weeklong workshops in student interest areas, such as:
- Filmmaking workshop with Plotline, creating a short film while learning roles in front of and behind the camera
- Dance workshop with Dance Mission
- African music movement in collaboration with Mosaic Arts Collective
- Hands-on activities for students to choose from, including fabric crafts, jewelry making, painting, drawing, choir, and musical theater.
Members are transported to each of these programs weekly by BGCS staff, all at no additional cost to club members.
SRAC's mission aligns with Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield
Sarah Abele, Arts Council Director of Programming and Development, is thrilled to see this partnership taking place.
“Partnering with Boys & Girls Clubs made perfect sense for the Springfield Regional Arts Council as our missions align so well — we both want to enable all young people, especially those who need it most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens,” Abele said
Helen Brown, Director of Programming at the Sertoma Unit of the Boys & Girls Club, is also excited to see this partnership unfold. She participated in the staff training, where an art teacher from Bingham Elementary brought tips and tricks for facilitating arts experiences, including advice on how to turn mistakes into creative opportunities.
“I can honestly say I would love to be a kiddo in her class,” Brown said. “We gained experience in using watercolors and pastels, which I'd never used before. We also learned ways to increase the members' comfortability when using new modes of art. I have loved working with SRAC.”
She sees the impact already through individual stories and group dynamics.
“The kids were very excited to have the opportunity to sign up for arts programs they were interested in,” Brown said. “One member in particular was so excited to sign up for fabric crafts because he had always wanted to learn to sew and has never had the opportunity. When members were offered the chance to travel to other clubs, their faces beamed at the thought of being able to see their friends.”
Community support makes these programs possible
Supporting the Arts Council through events like the Annual Art Auction, the Ozzies and Artsfest helps them to provide free arts programming to the community throughout the year. Abele wants to encourage others to take part.
“You are helping to foster a love of the arts in future generations,” she said. “By exposing children to different art forms and encouraging them to explore their creativity, the Springfield Regional Arts Council can help to create a more vibrant and culturally-rich community.”
Want to get involved?
Member Art Auction: The SRAC Annual Art Auction continues until June 30, so there’s still time to purchase local art and support arts programs at the same time.
Boys & Girls Clubs Mentor Program: Learn how you can get involved as an Art Buddy mentor or volunteer to support back-to-school events at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield website.
