Month of the Young Child is Year of the Young Child if you're talking to us!
On Saturday, April 16, Gateway participated in a Month of the Young Child family event at the Homewood YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh. Teaching artist Celeta Hickman got parents and children up and moving together in an engaging activity based in African music and dance. Kids also had the chance to make and take their own musical shakers - but these activities are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Gateway to the Arts' early childhood programming.
The scope of Gateway's work in the early childhood arena is vast. From one-day arts-based workshops in the community like this one to seven-week residencies in early childhood classrooms, the foundation is the same: Integrating the arts into the curriculum helps young learners master basic skills. Drama, music and movement experiences not only support physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development, they create active, joyful, child-centered learning environments.
In fact, all the programming Gateway offers for the K-12 audience, we also offer for the pre-K set - plus additional StoryTime! programs just for libraries. Our ShowTime! performance programs take place in early childhood classrooms, day-care centers or pre-school settings. In Teach Me! mini-residencies, early childhood practitioners learn the basics of arts integration methods as their students participate in four workshops with a teaching artist. The Gateway to the Arts' Western Pennsylvania Wolf Trap program, our 'Cadillac' of early childhood programming, includes the Integrating the Arts into the Early Childhood Curriculum professional development institute for educators, preparation and planning sessions for educators with a teaching artist, a seven-week classroom residency with the artist, a "Show What We Know" parent engagement session and supplementary material from the international Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts program - of which Gateway is the only affiliate in Pennsylvania.
Gateway believes in reaching children wherever learning is taking place - so if it's in the library, at the community center, in-school or even at home - our mission is to parter with professional performing and visual artists to integrate quality arts experiences into the lives of western Pennsylvania students, educators and families.
If you are interested in bringing these programs to your site, please feel free to contact Carol Wolfe, Program Manager, Professional Development and Early Learning & Regional Director, Western Pennsylvania Wolf Trap, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .