Arts in Education

The education department at CCCADI has been consistently providing a wide variety of arts of the African diaspora to students in NYC as well as professional development workshops to educators in schools or youth organizations.  Over the last year we have collaborated with about 100 programs.  Our versatile, multi-talented, dynamic teaching artists and facilitators have led African history workshops, drumming circles, dance assemblies, capoeira demonstrations, and instrument and mask making workshops.  This past summer was busy with many students from camps visiting our gallery and doing workshops in our backyard space.  We are excited this school year that we have a strong youth presence.  Several interns and volunteers are involved with our organization. There is a group of students from Millennium HS that have started a Maafa Club and we have formed a partnership because of our similar vision.  We are also thrilled that we have steadily had large groups of students of all ages visiting the center to view our gallery and participate in workshops with teaching artists and we look forward to many more in the new year.

According to the U.S. Census 2004, over 50% of New York City's 8 million residents identify as Black or Latino. African descendants exist all over the Western hemisphere, making significant contributions to the history, culture, and societies throughout the Americas. The Caribbean Cultural Center's Arts in Education Programs highlight and educate youth and adults about the cultural expressions of global communities. Seeking to restructure New York City's cultural matrix, our programs more accurately reflect the racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity of the City's population and rely on approaches to education that are indigenous to our communities. Through visits at your school or at our center, our teaching artists bring alive the culture and arts of New York City's diverse communities of color.

Providing fun yet rigorous learning experiences where participants acquire artistic, academic and social development, our programs help students:

• Tap creativity and self-exploration.
• Foster and build critical thinking skills, including the ability to judge the accuracy or value of an idea and make connections to the world around them.
• Implement newly learned skills in their daily life.
• Deepen community ties and cultural understanding.
• Unlock enthusiasm and hidden talent, and use these to excel in learning.
• Enjoy the academic learning process in a dynamic and fun way.
• Allow students to exercise Multiple Intelligences, thematic and integrated learning.

Who We Serve:

• NYC Public and Private Schools, grades K-12. We are DOE Licensed Vendors.
• After-school programs.
• Not for profit organizations including day care centers, clubs, and service agencies.
• Teachers and Educators.
• Parents and Adults.
• Private Companies and other organizations.

We provide:

• Workshops (length and frequency adapted to fit your needs)
• Teaching Artist Residencies (8-12 weeks for 1-2 hours at a time).
• Assembly Presentations (lecture demonstration style, interactive, or performance).
• Guided tours of our Exhibition Space with talks from the exhibition artists.
• Professional Development Workshops for teachers and parents.
• Film Screenings.
• Appointment-only access to our Book & Video African Diaspora Library.
• Internships & Volunteer opportunities.

Designing a Program:

Our programs are tailored to fit the needs and interests of your group.
They can be tailored to focus on a:

• Geographic Region
• Theme or Time Period in History
• Art Discipline (Dance, Music, Visual, or Literary Arts)
• Final Product (CD, Book Anthology, T-shirt line, Mural, Exhibit, etc.)