This fall, our afterschool program will be an expanded Chicago Ave Project (CAP) curriculum for K-5th grade paired with our Youth Action CREW for 6th-8th grade (more info about CREW is included after the first photo). We will continue to follow the Minneapolis Public Schools calendar and plan on starting on Sept. 5th. Program will run from 2 – 5:30 PM, M-F unless there is no school that day.
The Chicago Avenue Project is an arts-based afterschool program serving children in kindergarten to fifth grade. We invite all kids in the neighborhood to create, explore and share with us in afterschool arts-based classes and open studio time with teaching artists.
We believe in learning through play, taking risks and taking care of each other, and making space for kids to be themselves.
We use tools like cardboard, masking tape, markers, stories, songs, puppets and dance to create healthy challenges and build connections. Twice a year, all students are invited to attend performances of plays created for and by children. And as curiosity and confidence builds, students may present their own creative work for an audience at these culminating performances.
What does CREW stand for?
– Creativity
– Respect
– Empowerment
– Wisdom
Mission:
CREW builds strong youth citizens by:
1. Fostering identity, self-awareness and confidence in 6 – 8th grade youth
2. Encouraging active citizenship and positive youth voice through service-learning and civic engagement
3. Building a lifelong love of learning through experiential education and introductions to new experiences, places and skills
4. Building healthy relationships and connections with peers and trusted adult leaders
Values:
1. Youth voices must be heard in order to heal our communities.
2. Youth have power to impact their neighborhoods.
3. Youth should be valued as part of the solution to the city’s problems.
4. Adult CREW leaders should function as “guides on the side” to ensure that the youth vision for each project is realized.
Components:
1. Service-learning and civic engagement
Adult facilitators lead youth through a process to help identify social justice issues that are important to the youth, and then craft a response to that issue. Youth learn how to Plan, Act, Reflect and evaluate during each project.
2. Experiential learning
Youth engage in activities that broaden their horizons and help them see the world from new perspectives. Second Step curriculum helps supplement real-world experiences like canoeing the Mississippi River with Wilderness Inquiry, designing public art projects, or touring a local radio station.
3. Team-building
Developmentally, it’s important for middle school youth to be part of a positive peer group. CREW gives youth incentives and rewards for positive action that impacts their community. Field trips, games, setting group goals and expectations all work to create a positive group dynamic.
The Financials:
Due to the loss of some of our funding earlier this year, the fall program will be more expensive than in years past. We are in the process of being approved as a site for Hennepin County Childcare Assistance, so that is one way that you may be able to save some money on the fall program, as long as you qualify and enroll with the county.
To successfully run the fall program, we need a total of $20K from parent contributions for the semester (4 months). This means that we will be accepting:
5 youth at $50 a month,
15 youth at $150 a month, and
10 youth at $250 a month.
Registration Process:
One of our new grants requires that we make changes to our standard intake form for the fall, so registration forms are not yet available.
However, please let me know if you are interested, and I will hold the spot(s) for you and follow up as soon as forms become available. We’re looking forward to another exciting school year with your family.
More info:
Matt Thiede
Youth Manager
Direct: 612-787-3646 | Fax: 612-827-5818 | MatthewT@pillsburyunited.org