Arts and music programs enhance students’ critical thinking skills and creativity to improve concentration, motivation, and confidence.
With COVID-19 wreaking havoc on communities and schools, the arts are playing an even more critical role in helping children express themselves, connect with each other, process stress, and stay engaged in their virtual/hybrid/socially distanced learning environment.
California Casualty wants to make sure as many students as possible get a chance to have a classroom art project, learn music, act in a school play, or hone their artistic talents, by providing $250 for underfunded programs.
Jaime Plancon, a music therapist at ACES Village School (pictured with former ACES Education Association President Bill Jacobs), received a Music and Arts Grant in 2019.
In 2019, Jaime Plancon, a music therapist at ACES Village School, was one of the Connecticut recipients of a California Casualty Music and Arts Grant. ACES Village School is a pre-k through eighth grade school for students with cognitive, physical, behavioral, language, and medical challenges, and Plancon says music is an important tool to facilitate functional learning for her students.
The grant allowed her to purchase adaptive instruments and technology to enhance the therapy experience
Other teachers have used the Music and Arts Grants for efforts such as:
- Buying paper and clay for visual arts students
- Purchasing new mouthpieces for band instruments
- Opera Guild mentoring for junior high opera performance
- Supplying a classroom art project break to rigorous curriculum
- Purchasing basic arts supplies to be used with science and math units of study
Educators who apply by June 30, 2021, will be notified of their status by September 30, 2021.
