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Art & Craft Afterschool Program
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Art & Craft Afterschool Program is a creative activity and practice; children can participate after their regular school programs, or in evenings and weekends. Activity involves hands-on art and craft making. These afterschool programs can be held at any profit or non-profit organization, such as community centers, libraries, YMCAs, or any private art studio that is owned or run by artists. They are non-academic art classes, mainly of small groups; it can have 6 to 15 students aged 6 to18 years, based on Participatory Art Pedagogy methodology. Children in these classes are actively participating in making artwork. Most of these non-academic and interdisciplinary programs are taught by professional artists. They are meant to relax and stimulate children, and give them incentives and opportunities to learn from the practices of making art objects. Children are not under pressure to produce perfect artworks, rather, they are constantly learning in the process. Some parents are either too busy or otherwise unable to facilitate their children’s artmaking; they send their children to join these art classes to learn some artistic skills or to refine their motor skills. Other parents want their children to enjoy and appreciate art making. They are neither “over-parenting” nor “slow-parenting”. Practitioners of these programs believe that children are in fact natural learners; they have inner abilities and an urge to create - a natural desire to use their own hands. As well, children with Special Needs have the same desire to do art. These afterschool art and craft programs are intended to provide a safe, supportive, and innovative environment inclusive of Special Needs children, to stretch their imagination, and to learn from their art experiences.

Participatory Art Pedagogy Methodology
Participatory Art Pedagogy is an informal art education that can take place at school, other public or private settings. It is both an art activity and art making experience, based on preparation, process and artmaking. The Art & Craft Afterschool Programs can include sketching, drawing, painting with watercolor, acrylic or oil, making jewelry, clay sculptures and paper-maché, mask-making, print-making, ceramics, pottery, poster making, mixed-media, and more. Students can work independently or in small groups with instructors. They are allowed and encouraged to talk about their work with their peers, communicate their learning experiences and share what they create. Socialization and the process of making art is what counts., University of Michigan. Art Education: Why have Art Education? Children are encouraged to express themselves creatively through their art making process. A combination of physical activity from the making of art, mental activity of creating the art objects, and the social skills building help children to improve their confidence, self-image, and self-esteem. Engaging children in dialogue, stimulating them through motivation, and observing children when they make art, talk, play, reflect on art products. With these approaches, children are encouraged through new meaningful artistic endeavors.

Some projects take one class to finish, and some may take a few to complete; children are under no pressure to fulfill extraordinary tasks. Rather, they naturally emerge and concentrate on their making, because making art is a mental activity. Instructors may not actually correct students’ work by altering or changing their artwork, rather, they encourage the children to do their work autonomously, and support them constantly by pointing out their strengths, not weaknesses. At the same time, the instructors work closely with the students, offering help if they see a child struggling. Focusing on students’ learning process and well-being are the priorities of these afterschool art and craft classes.

Benefits of Art & Craft Afterschool Program

 * Refine motor skills
 * Build community spirit
 * Cultivate sensory awareness
 * Develop aesthetic awareness
 * Develop an understanding of the world
 * Communication of visual language
 * Exercising intuitive thinking
 * Perceptual development
 * Cognitive development
 * Relationship between peer culture, play culture, and the making of arts
 * Being taught to appreciate art
 * Self-expression
 * Skill training through manipulation of materials, hand-tools, and or mechanical equipment
 * Artistry development
 * Develop confidence and better self-image
 * Understanding the elements of ‘Visual Grammar’
 * Practical experience with hands-on
 * Develop observational skill
 * Unlocking creativity and exploring imagination
 * Social and intellectual enrichment

The Importance of Art & Craft Afterschool Programs Worldwide
The Art & Craft Afterschool Programs vary from country to country; different cultures have various values in the subject of artmaking and the idea of promoting afterschool programs. For instance, Asian countries like Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore are well known for their high academic achievements, therefore, all afterschool programs are being regulated by the government – students are encouraged not to work too hard outside of their regular school programs. But, in the U.S. and Canada, these programs are possibly meeting the multiple goals of social and intellectual enrichment, therefore, they are popular. Particularly in the U.S., any legitimate afterschool program can keep students safe, and provide mentoring by caring adults to support healthy psycho-social development as extending the school day with practiced materials to reinforce concepts and skills. According to an article by the American Professor, Eva L. Baker in Psychological Studies in Education and Social Research Methodology, these quality afterschool programs have a positive, significant effect on a number of important aspects of student learning and 21st century skill development. They should be an essential part of the nation’s education improvement agenda. The positive impact of the afterschool programs should be granted as regular policy and budgetary supports by political leaders. In Canada, under the current policy, parents are allowed to claim the expenses for their children’s art classes in their annual income tax returns.

The Importance of Inclusivity
According to the statistics from the Annual Schools’ Census in England (2002), the number of students with “Special Educational Needs” is approximately 3 per cent of all students. In particular, these Special Needs children require individual attention, and not all teachers can provide this. Individualized attention demands the instructors have knowledge and experience of a given child’s special needs, strengths and weaknesses, in order to support the child’s artistic and aesthetic development. Special Needs children can learn, and they can find personal meaning in the art experience. The practitioners of these afterschool programs make this process available and accessible to children through their own culturally responsive pedagogy. So, children with special needs can grow with greater confidence and purpose, equipped to withstand negative pressures. Meaningful afterschool programs with qualified and experienced art instructors can empower these children by engendering in them a sense of competence and pride. These children need experiences that can help them to see themselves for who they are. Furthermore, art and craft can be a means of self-expression and communication; it also meets the needs of a culturally diverse student population.

Successful artists such as Stephen Wiltshire (British), Roy Wenzel (Dutch), Christophe Pillault (Iranian), Donna Williams (Australian), Mark Rimland (American), were also born with Special Needs. According to the article, “Why have Art Education?” from the University of Michigan website, it is believed that Art Education is an important aspect of the overall education of children., University of Michigan. Art Education: Why have Art Education? Art can be a means for children who do not otherwise excel in school to have a subject where they feel positive about themselves., University of Michigan. Art Education: Why have Art Education? There is evidence that afterschool art programs are making a difference for disadvantaged students. It shows that the programs can be one of the best tools to help these Special Needs children excel academically in other areas., University of Michigan. Art Education: Why have Art Education?