Outreach Programs

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Outreach Program Offerings

Let Girls First bring its creative and research-backed social and emotional (SEL) curriculum to you! Our Teaching Artists use trauma-informed techniques to help students build their SEL skills while learning through the arts. It is lifelong learning meets FUN.

Our trained Teaching Artists will provide after-school instruction to support your 1st through 4th grade students’ development in social and emotional skills. We will draw upon our proprietary curriculum, Artsee, which utilizes the engaging power of drama, dance, music, and visual art to cultivate self- regulation, agency, self-efficacy, and empathy.

Classes are formatted in a structure that provides predictability and consistency while following the natural organization of the brain. The program will culminate in a final showcase to celebrate all that they have learned!

​We can curate the duration of the program to meet your organization's needs.The suggested length of the program is a ten to fifteen week after-school club, meeting once or twice a week (Minimum of 10 class sessions for a culminating Showcase).

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Existing Outreach Programs

During the 2023-2024 school year, Girls First expanded our reach through Outreach Programming at two additional sites in southeastern Pennsylvania – The Chester CharterScholars Academy (CCSA) in the city of Chester as well as The Gesu School in Philadelphia. During the Fall of 2024, Girls First established an outreach program partnership with Chester Exchange and Chester Eastside, Inc. to launch Kids First, an inaugural co-ed afterschool program using the Artsee Curriculum.

 Under the direction and supervision of the Director of Education, Girls First Outreach Teaching Artists lead the delivery of our Artsee lessons in collaboration with local outreach program staff. Our Outreach Teaching Artists receive trauma-informed training in order to reinforce this pillar of our program design.

  • The curriculum for these locations has been modified for timing as the programs meet one day per week at Gesu  two days per week at CCSA, and four days per week at Kid First: CEI.
  • Students are exposed to drama and visual arts at CCSA, dance at The GESU School, and the full Artsee curriculum (with all four art forms) at Kids First: CEI.

Kids First

Outreach Partner Spotlight

Kids First is a comprehensive academic and enrichment program for children (boys and girls) in grades 1-4 during out-of-school time hours. Kids First incorporates the Chester ExChange literacy program within the Girls First arts-integrated and trauma-informed Artsee curriculum and framework.

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Teaching Artist Apprenticeships

Our trained Teaching Artists will provide after-school instruction to support your 1st through 4th grade students’ development in social and emotional skills. We will draw upon our proprietary curriculum, Artsee, which utilizes the engaging power of drama, dance, music, and visual art to cultivate self- regulation, agency, self-efficacy, and empathy.

 

Classes are formatted in a structure that provides predictability and consistency while following the natural organization of the brain. The program will culminate in a final showcase to celebrate all that they have learned!

​

We can curate the duration of the program to meet your organization's needs.

The suggested length of the program is an ten to fifteen week after-school club, meeting once or twice a week (Minimum of 10 class sessions for a culminating Showcase). 


Educator Professional Development Workshops

Go “behind the scenes” to learn the “whys” and “hows” of what we do at Girls First. For teachers, staff, and board who are interested in expanding their knowledge on trauma-informed teaching, resiliency building, and how to utilize the arts to enhance their students’ social and emotional skill set.​ Please contact Alyssa Franklin, Director of Education, at Alyssa@girlsfirst.org to book your Girls First Outreach program today!

Our Programs Are Designed to Help:

Feel Supported & Secure

While building positive relationships

Learn New Skills

Social, emotional, academic, and creative

Build their confidence

Regulation, efficacy, empathy, and agency

Break Cycles of Adversity

By increasing resilience and perseverance

Arts As A Vehicle

Arts are a vehicle by which we teach our students life skills and coping techniques 

Students who have access to the arts have better academic results, workforce opportunities, and more civic engagement

Our curriculum provides interventions for students who experience overwhelming feelings of stress, anxiety, and anger, delivered in a universally beneficial way

Trauma-Informed Approach

We recognize that not every student we serve has experienced trauma, but that trauma-informed care — safety, connection, regulation, and learning adaptive responses — are equally beneficial.

Ensure Safety

Build Trust

Provide Choices

Foster Collaboration

Nurture Empowerment

SEL****

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Our Curriculum

An SEL curriculum for arts-based social and emotional explorations

About  Artsee

Artsee is a four year, arts-based curriculum focused on building resilience while cultivating regulation, agency, self efficacy, and empathy. The curriculum is designed for delivery to children in first through fourth grades.

 

45 minute lessons are formatted in a structure that provides predictability and consistency while following the natural organization of the brain. Creative explorations are used as metaphors to practice and develop social, emotional, and academic skills and interpersonal interactions. It is encouraged that students be given opportunities to apply skills practiced in class to real life situations throughout other portions of the program or school time. 

The curriculum features a heavy emphasis on celebration and invites family members, friends, and community members to participate in recognizing the accomplishments of students.

All lessons were designed to be led by experienced teaching artists, but an initial 20 hour training in Artsee’s specific teaching methodology is required with ongoing support for teaching artists provided.

Ask us how we can bring Artsee, our arts-based social and emotional explorations curriculum, to your organization.

Artsee Curriculum Yearly Breakdown

Practicing Self Regulation

  • Understanding Emotions
  • Understanding Stress Responses
  • Impulse Control
  • Calming Strategies
  • Setting Goals

Discovering Personal Agency

  • Decision Making
  • Identifying Choices
  • Understanding Solutions / Consequences
  • Self Advocacy

Building Self Efficacy

  • Trying New Things
  • Facing Challenges
  • Setting Goals
  • Reframing Obstacles
  • Acknowledging Accomplishments

Cultivating Empathy

  • Develop Emotional Literacy
  • Build Moral Courage
  • Hone Social & Emotional Intelligence
  • Practice Active Listening
  • Perspective Talking

The Teaching Artist Apprenticeship Program equips teaching artists to create a learning environment that is trauma-informed and provides equitable opportunities for growth academically, artistically, and socio-emotionally in a community setting.

About The Apprenticeship

Teaching Artists leading the Artsee curriculum are expected to possess at least some experience teaching and leading creative explorations. Prior to implementing the curriculum, teaching artists are required to participate in 20 hours of training. Training topics include biological brain development and the effects of adversity on that development; classroom management techniques that encourage compassionate discipline and offer opportunities for positive growth; how to employ creative explorations for academic, social, and emotional skill building; and how social and emotional skills can positively impact academic performance, increase prosocial behaviors, reduce emotional distress, and build resilience. Semi-monthly check-ins provide Teaching Artists with continued support and opportunities to workshop behavior challenges and creative ideas with their cohort and trainer.

​​Learning Opportunities:

  • Gain experience teaching social, emotional, and academic skills through arts explorations
  • Receive mentorship and professional development throughout the program year
  • Learn best practices in trauma-informed, arts-based programming
  • Understand brain-based learning and teaching methods
  • Opportunity to renew contract for the following program year

 

  • Promote a safe, fun, and engaging environment for all students
  • Attend mandatory training sessions, apprentice team professional development meetings, and monthly individual check-ins
  • Using provided lesson plans, lead two classes per week for up to 10 students
  • Create and lead weekly Creative Explorations activities inspired by the monthly theme
  • Complete student assessments
  • Reflect upon teaching and student interaction experiences and be prepared to discuss and invite feedback
  • Assist with program mealtime preparation, set up, and clean up
  • Provide support to students with program activities
  • Respond compassionately and effectively to varying student concerns and behavioral reactions
  • Commitment to ensuring an inclusive environment where all members of the Girls First community are treated with dignity and respect