ART EDUCATION
At ELM Foundation, our commitment to developing accessible art education programs is unwavering. We collaborate with educators and professionals to create inclusive environments that embrace children of all learning abilities, socio-economic backgrounds, neurodiversity, and those navigating trauma. Our approach integrates community-building through art and creative activities, ensuring every child feels valued and empowered.
Addressing Educational Gaps
Our free youth arts education programming addresses a significant gap in art education within public schools in our borough. With only 21% of parents satisfied and 63% rating current offerings as mediocre or non-existent, our initiative steps in to provide essential artistic learning opportunities for children.
Meeting Community Needs
Based on surveys, 46% of our students join our programs to compensate for the lack of art education in their schools, highlighting the urgent need for supplemental arts programs. Additionally, 27% participate to expand their child's interests in the arts, demonstrating the broader impact of our initiatives on children's educational and personal development.
Financial Accessibility
Many children have limited access to arts at school and not all families can afford fee based extracurricular art programs. For 26% of our students, our free classes are their only access to structured arts education, underscoring the financial barriers many families face in enriching their children's education
Community Impact and Growth
Our free arts education programming plays a crucial role in our district and surrounding areas, meeting increasing demand and expanding opportunities for elementary and middle school-aged children. By fostering creativity and emotional well-being, we contribute to building a vibrant, resilient community that nurtures future generations.
PROGRAMMING
CLASSES
Throughout the year, ELM offers free after-school art classes, impacting approximately 150 children annually with programs. Led by experienced artists, we focus on small class sizes to ensure a personalized, hands-on learning environment where students have ample access to tools and receive one-on-one guidance from mentors.
EXPLORE CLASSES
Our classes are scheduled in four sessions each year, following the NYSD calendar.
