Developed for the 2013–14 school year, the MAG-RCSD Expanded Learning Collaboration was originally part of an experimental Rochester City School District partnership initiative with community cultural institutions, extending the school day to enhance arts integration for local students.
ELC is a multi-visit program that welcomes students in Grades 2–4 from each partner school, including students receiving special education services. Students come to MAG once a week for a ninety-minute visit for four consecutive weeks. With our exceptional trained program staff, they explore and discuss artworks in the museum, and then create their own artwork in the Creative Workshop, MAG’s art school for all ages.
The lesson plans support school curriculum areas such as science, social studies, and English language arts, as well as address social and emotional aspects of learning like self and social awareness, taking turns, and the importance of recognizing diverse points of view and interpretations.
ELC is also a multi-year program. Many of the students return in subsequent years, building on their previous experiences. ELC participants gain language, skills, and tools to empower them to respond to art in a way that enhances their classroom learning and expands their world view. MAG arranges transportation to and from the museum, purchases high-quality art supplies, and designs meaningful and exciting lesson plans—all at no cost to our partner schools.
Over the course of a school year, the ELC program serves nearly 550 students in grades 2–4 from partner schools. We are also exploring alternative ways to deliver an ELC-like experience to schools unable to come to MAG in person.
Time and time again, studies have shown that through exposure to the arts, including art museums, students demonstrate stronger critical thinking skills, display higher levels of social understanding, exhibit greater historical empathy, and develop an interest in other cultural institutions. The benefits are significantly greater for students from historically marginalized populations. As Rochester’s community museum, we are proud that the ELC program continues to support this initiative!
The MAG-RCSD Expanded Learning Collaboration is sponsored by the William and Sheila Konar Foundation, with additional support from M&T Bank, the Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation, the Waldron Rise Foundation, The Guido and Ellen Palma Foundation, the Wan Jou Family Foundation in memory of Shi-Ling C. Hsiang, Rosemary Christoff Dolan in memory of the artist Marie Alexandre Christoff, Wegmans, and Deborah Goldman. Funding is also provided by Alice Smith and other generous donors to An Artists’ Affair.
This program is also made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, ARPML-250503-OMLS-22, www.imls.gov.
Additional support is provided by the John C. and Elsa C. Beach and Eileen M. Sullivan Education Endowment, the Emma Jane Drury Education Fund, the Joan Feinbloom School Programming Fund, the Patricia S. Fishman Educational Endowment, the Joanna M. and Michael R. Grosodonia Fund, the Mary Sue Jack Endowed Fund, the Memorial Art Gallery Community Access Endowment, and the Josephine Tota Endowment.
The McPherson Director of Academic Programs is partially endowed by an anonymous donor. Support for the Estelle B. Goldman Museum Educators is provided by the Estate of Estelle B. Goldman.
