High school students who take four years of Arts score 100 points higher on the SAT - The Arts teach the skills essential for success in the global marketplace: risk-taking, out-of-the-box creative thinking, team problem solving, excellence as the standard and academic discipline - Students who are involved in the Arts have improved self-esteem and are less likely to skip school or engage in disruptive classroom behavior - Students who take Art have improved attention spans, increased interest in school and foundations of success on which to build - Participation in the Arts promotes tolerance for other cultures, Art is about working together, about communication, about bridges and connections.

August, 2002

Art Education Profile: Working with Children at Risk. Programs of the Colored Pencil Society of America

Contact us with information about your class and events: Art Educator's Profile
Contact the CPSA at: humay@enteract.com

 

 

Outside the juvenile detention center where Ms. Dahlgran works with children at risk


Mahatma Gandhi aptly observed that "if we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children."

Dava Dahlgran
Colored Pencil Society of America
District Chapter Development Director
(Member of Idaho Falls DC217)

Below is a synopsis of the work I have done with the juvenile detention center. I cannot provide any photos of the students as they are strictly prohibited to maintain privacy.

Dava Dahlgran has taught colored pencil classes bi-monthly as a volunteer for 3B Juvenile Detention Center in Idaho Falls, ID for the last four years. The center is a very rewarding place to teach for several reasons. First is the appreciation received from the students and staff alike. Second, and most important, is that these 12-17 year old children crave the creative outlet and take the instruction willingly.

Some need more coaxing than others to overcome self –doubt but never has one refused to try.

The art classes are limited by time and available materials. Pencils are the only media allowed because of safety concerns. They are also a perfect media for a group of children who rarely show signs of confidence in themselves. A pencil is a non-threatening, familiar tool for creating art therefore everyone is willing to try what is put before them.

Holiday Card: Generic winter subject to accomodate most religions. Lesson: Simplifying what you see. Cards are prepared ahead of time with decorative paper already mounted on front so that the image may be drawn on smaller paper and applied by staff (no glue or tape may be used by the students). Inside is blank for personal message to be written. Cards are usually made for parents or guardians.


Dava uses very simple objects for subject matter and concentrates on teaching various techniques for using the pencils. The population changes continually so each project needs to stand alone. Every class will have some who have been in class before and some that are new. References are color copies of photos that Dava takes herself. The copies are less expensive than photo prints but are used in place of photos primarily for security reasons. The elements and principals of art and design are learned as a part of the projects rather than as separate formal lessons in themselves. The quality of the resulting artworks often surprises even the artists.
There are certain boundaries that must be kept when teaching in such a facility, which can be difficult at times. Some are for materials allowed in the center and some involve ways in which the artist may interact with the students. For the time the artist is in class the incarcerated juveniles are just children. The events which led to their arrests are never discussed. It is impossible to tell which young men and women have committed serious crimes. It doesn’t seem important. There is something about creative activities that allow them to forget their circumstances for a short while. Not once has discipline been a problem. The orderly manner in which the classroom is kept actually aids the creative process and is a joy to experience. The students are not distracted from their work and put a great deal of effort into their drawing. The willingness/eagerness of the staff, even some guards, to join in the lessons adds to the experience for both the student and the teacher.

Three Color Project: Apple - an organic shape that does not need to be perfectly drawn to still 'read' as apple. This accommodates a wide range of skill levels in the same class and allows for visible success.

 

Past Featured Art Education Profiles:

August, 2002 The Peace Through Art Program of the ICAF

July, 2002 Native American Students at The Southwest Museum