The Children's Discovery Center (CDC) received $12,080 from the Wyoming Art Council in support of all its early childhood art programs for 2019-2020 school year. The CDC plans to provide high quality integrated arts programs to our preschoolers in the Sublette County community. Our goal is to introduce interactive programs with a curriculum that will include activities to help children develop their cognitive, social and motor abilities through the arts. Arts education is vital to developing America's next generation of creative and innovative thinkers. As an advocate for arts education, we want to utilize the arts as a tool to reduce the educational achievement gap. There is clear evidence to suggest that arts-integrated curriculum and/or arts-rich environments are beneficial to student learning. Although we value the arts as a standard alone experience, programs are most successful when they have support from school leadership, include teacher professional development, partner with high-quality arts organizations, when art lessons are aligned with student learning goals, and when student progress is effectively monitored.
Some programs we offer are: Inter-generational program, daily music and movement classes, meditative yoga, literacy program with local librarian Michelle Humber, a play-based curriculum and cultural learning, and STEAM. We also coordinate with local stained glass artist, Hayley Ruland, Pinedale Arts and Crafts owner, Mae Orm, the Pinedale Fine Arts Council (PFAC), and Sherry Riley local dance teacher.
