Parent Teacher Magazine Charlotte-Mecklenburg School January 2105 | Page 13

Building futures through partnerships
Albemarle Road Elementary, The Lily Sarah Grace Fund collaborate for arts-infused education
Three students in Andrea Bryant’s fourth-grade class at Albemarle Road
Elementary gathered together recently to work on their plans for a future
business. They decided to combine their career aspirations into a single
business called EGR: Eat, Game and Read. “People can come and play video
games, eat our food and read a book,” one student told a visitor.
The rest of Bryant’s students are working on their future career plans
too, preparing for a showcase where they’ll present their aspirations to their
parents and members of the community. Students were asked to answer the
question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” They’ll present the
answers at the showcase through original songs, paintings, commercials and
sculptures they’ve created.
Bryant’s classroom has been a hive of creative activity since August,
when they started participating in a unique pilot program. The Lily Sarah
Grace (LSG) Fund is sponsoring a program at Albemarle Road designed to
encourage creative, inclusive education. The LSG Fund was founded by New
York City resident Matthew Badger, who lost his three daughters Lily, Sarah
and Grace in a 2011 fire on Christmas Day. His daughters were all dyslexic
and struggled with traditional educational methods, but thrived with artsinfused education. The LSG Fund uses an inquiry-based learning model to
support teachers and students based on community, collaboration, creativity,
critical thinking and communication.
“This is a unique way to reach all learners,” said teacher and program
coordinator Anna Glodowski. “This levels the playing field. Students who
aren’t as successful in traditional learning areas can really shine when we let
them learn through other methods.”
Glodowski met Badger when she applied for a teacher’s grant offered by
his foundation. He decided to visit Albemarle Road Elementary. After his visit,
he was eager to pilot the new teaching program at the school. “We chose
to pilot the program here because of the support of Anna and the principal,
Tyler Ream,” said Badger. “We have two essential elements here: people who
are champions for their students and people who support forward thinking
and progressive learning.”
Together with LSG, Albemarle Road partnered with UNC-Charlotte to
train 28 college students studying early education. On Wednesdays, the
college students attend classes to learn more about arts-infused education.
On Fridays, they work with students at Albemarle Road to gain hands-on
experience. “This is a great way for them to learn to teach,” said Glodowski.
“From the beginning of their teaching career, they’re realizing that each
student needs personalized learning.”
Bryant says that participating in the program has helped her students
learn to work together as community. She’s encouraged her class to work
together in groups with classmates who have similar career goals. “It’s
definitely enhanced our collaboration with each other,” said Bryant. “I am

always telling them that 21st century learners have to learn to work together.
If you’re going to have a career, or go to college, you have to be able to work
with people and work with the public.”
Bryant has used the pilot program as an opportunity to incorporate songs
and art into all of core science, social studies and literacy lessons. “We’re
getting ready to start talking about geometry, so we’re going to include some
movements and dance to learn about angles,” said Bryant. “This is a way that
all of our students can visualize things and internalize them better.”
Ream, the principal, was very excited that LSG chose to pilot the program
at Albemarle Road. “To be the one school selected in the country to pilot this
program is a huge honor,” said Ream. “LSG’s vision about what education can
and should be is our vision. Students don’t learn in isolation and shouldn’t sit
at a desk and be talked to for eight hours. They should be discovering and
producing.”
Phase two of the program began in January. A second pilot group of 12
teachers, two from each grade level, will participate in weekly professional
development sessions to learn more about inquiry-based learning and
infusing arts education. “I think we all are fired up about learning this new
way of teaching,” said Glodowski. “With the great diversity we have among
our learners, this isn’t an option any more but a necessity.”
Badger says that arts-infused education isn’t a cure for learning
disabilities, but it can definitely help children who are struggling. He is
enthusiastic about the success of Albemarle Road’s pilot and what the future
may hold. “If a child can feel good about coming to school, and have a
positive relationship with school, we can teach them to become an advocate
for themselves,” he said. “We want these kids to say, ‘I know that I am
smart.’”
- See more at: http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/News/Pages/
Buildingfuturesthroughpartnerships.aspx#sthash.zylFqKc6.dpuf

Lily Sarah Grace

challenges and empowers teachers in underfunded public
elementary schools to deliver best-practice instruction via
Arts-Infused Inquiry-Based Learning (AIIBL). LSG awards
grants to teachers to implement AIIBL projects in their
classrooms.

-www.LilySarahGrace.org

Parent Teacher Magazine • Jan/Feb 2