Existing Artsee Afterschool Partnerships
During the 2023-2024 school year, Girls First expanded our reach through Outreach Programming at two additional sites in southeastern Pennsylvania – The Chester Charter Scholars Academy (CCSA) in the city of Chester as well as The Gesu School in Philadelphia.
This program launched as a pilot program in October of 2023 and serves students of various BIPOC backgrounds. The curriculum for these locations has been modified for timing as the programs meet one day per week at Gesu and two days per week at CCSA. Students are exposed to drama and visual arts at CCSA and dance at The GESU School. We continue to employ local artists with a teaching background to deliver programing, and the programs run under the direction and supervision of our Director of Education. Those instructing the program also participate in our trauma informed training in order to replicate this cornerstone of our programming from our core Artsee Curriculum.
Occasional Volunteers
These volunteers pitch in when they have a free moment. It may be subbing for a Volunteer Mentor, gathering friends to host an envelope stuffing party, providing support at a special event, or helping to fill the freezer with a week's worth of meals for the girls.
Volunteer Mentors
Our Volunteer Mentors are dedicated to growing their relationships with our students and are able to commit to volunteering on a weekly basis. Volunteer mentors shepherd their small cohort of students through the program day, beginning by engaging them in conversation during meal time, providing support during activities, and offering guidance during homework time.
Volunteer Mentors commit to one day of the week to attend (or more!), arriving by 3:15pm and leaving with the last student. Volunteer mentors are required to attend an orientation and training prior to beginning service as well as volunteer meetings held no more than 4 times throughout the program year.
All volunteers working directly with students must provide recent background checks and clearances.
Breaking Barriers
Girls First is committed to helping breakdown and overcome barriers to successful learning and growth. A recent NPR story underscored the value of our approach, reporting that mentoring programs like ours “have been shown to support children through difficulties in their lives [because] positive childhood experiences and relationships are known to buffer against the stress of trauma and strengthen resilience."
Mounting research suggests resilience may be the key to determining a child’s long-term success and happiness. So being able to ask for help, working through a disagreement with a friend, or sticking with subtraction even when it’s hard, all contribute equally to achievement. Girls First's unique programming, with a focus on collaboration, perseverance and mentoring, is designed to encourage personal growth in an environment where students feel safe, and we regularly see improvement over the course of a school year in students' belief in their ability to master tasks, overcome challenges, and manage their emotions successfully.
Dynamic, Arts-Based Enrichment
Girls First offers academic support and enrichment through the arts with a strong emphasis on life skills and building a positive sense of self. Through engaging creative experiences, the program fosters critical life skills such as communication, problem-solving, and resilience. A key focus is on nurturing a positive self-image and empowering girls to recognize their unique strengths and potential. Guided by compassionate mentors and experienced educators, participants are encouraged to explore their passions, build meaningful relationships, and develop the confidence to thrive both in and beyond the classroom.
ARTSEE After School Program
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).
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
Responsibilities:
- 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
