Thanks to a $10,000 Challenge America grant from the National Endowment of the Arts, Bingham Elementary School fourth-graders will get to explore career paths through art during the next school year.
The Art @ Work program is a collaboration between the City of Springfield’s Department of Workforce Development and the Springfield Art Museum and is designed to develop soft skills that can be used in the workplace later in life. The monthly sessions are geared toward students who may lack exposure to art, with a focus on increasing community engagement, fostering the development of work-ready skills and allowing access to hands-on art projects.
“We are pleased to partner with the Springfield Art Museum and Springfield Public Schools to bring this program to fourth graders at Bingham Elementary School. This program allows kids to work in small groups and collaborate on art projects related to career paths,” Workforce Development Director Sally Payne said.
Challenge America offers support primarily to small organizations for projects in all artistic disciplines that extend the reach of the arts to populations that are underserved. The NEA is the only arts funder in the United States – public or private – that provides access to the arts in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. jurisdictions. Each year, it awards thousands of grants to provide everyone in the United States with diverse opportunities for arts participation.
“Art @ Work is such an exciting program because we get to use artwork to encourage growth in students’ problem solving, critical thinking, and collaboration skills. This kind of interdisciplinary and interactive program is a fantastic way to bring the museum’s assets outside of our physical space and into the classroom,” said Museum Educator Jenny Schwartzberg.