An
article in today's Contra Costa Times talks about how kids in low-performing schools take multiple language arts and math classes each day. As a result, students are often taking no electives at all--no science, no art, even no social studies.
This trend is largely a result of the increased focus on testing. Schools are desperately striving to meet improvement goals on standardized tests, or be penalized. In the process, students often lose their shot at a well-rounded and
fun education.
We see this phenomenon all the time in schools. Students tell us that our program is the only arts experience they've had all year. And they often seem bored, disconnected from learning. Who can blame them? Wouldn't most of us feel the same?
Streetside focuses not on increasing test scores, but on building community and helping young people find their unique voices as writers and people. When we come into a classroom, young people, asked what they think and how they feel, come alive. And as an added bonus, research has found that our
Storytelling Exchange program raises language arts test scores.
standardized testsarts educationremedial classesStreetside StoriesLabels: Arts education, remedial classes, standardized tests, Streetside Stories
Streetside students were big winners at
Young At Art, San Francisco's youth arts celebration! Our students won a bunch of awards this year. Congratulations to Streetside intern Tanea Lunsford, a School of the Arts student who won a Bronze in the Short Story category. And also to:
Polly Lesaguis Honorable Mention Personal Essay/Memoir
Christoper Li'O Honorable Mention Personal Essay/Memoir
Shayna Ryan Honorable Mention Personal Essay/Memoir
Yasi At-Chan Bronze Poetry
Ciera Moberg Bronze Poetry
Lots of student work from our KIPP
Digital Teachers project and our
Tech Tales program was also highlighted at the Media Arts celebration.
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Every three years,
The San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Their Families has a new funding round. People who work at nonprofits all over San Francisco agonize over their proposals and rush to DCYF to drop off their applications before the deadline.
Last week, we found out that we were one of the 172 organizations
funded (450 proposals were submitted). We received funding to offer
even more of our quality afterschool programming to elementary and middle school students around the city. Next year, we'll serve triple the number of students after school that we served in 2005!
Every year, nonprofits often have to fundraise like crazy, raising their budgets all over again. Getting multi-year funding from DCYF helps us concentrate on making our work better instead. Thanks, DCYF!
Young At ArtSan Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Their Familiesafterschool programsStreetside StoriesLabels: afterschool programs, DCYF, Streetside Stories, Young At Art
