Kids explore nature at Under the Canopy.
WHERE TO …
Enrich a young mind Children are naturally curious. Case in point: A recent study found that kids from age 14 months to 5 years asked their parents an average of 107 questions an hour. Here are three programs that help satisfy curiosity and creativity in Tulsa kids.
Under the Canopy
MAKE
Raise Your Voice!
Whether they are observing and studying wildlife, planting or crafting with natural materials, children involved with Under the Canopy have a chance to explore and forge their own connection with nature. The drop-off classes for kindergarteners through fifth-graders include free play and a game to better understand animal behavior. “It is like magic when people discover all the fascinating things that have been happening all around them that they had never noticed,” says instructor and owner Margaritte ArthrellKnezek. Most classes are after school, but ArthrellKnezek also offers a homeschool program one morning per week. She teaches at three area schools and in her own midtown backyard. Fall programming kicks off in September.
Unleash your child’s creative genius with Modern Art for Kiddos Everywhere. Aimed at 4- to 12-yearolds, these activity-based classes focus around a modern artist or approach and use storytelling and group discussion to add meaning. Past projects include large Louise Bourgeois-inspired wire and woven cloth spider sculptures that climb up the wall to David Bowie-inspired “Starman” suits. “Art is just one of the layers I seek to teach during each class,” instructor Annie Ferris says. “My much larger goal is to offer gentle lessons in history, music, culture, diversity, acceptance, respect and social justice, and to use art and artists as the catalyst to explore these themes and to provide an opportunity to literally create the world we wish to see.” Ferris offers MAKE classes from her midtown studio throughout the year, with special classes around holidays and seasons. Watch for the next set of classes this fall and winter.
Performing on stage is a dream come true for some Tulsa students. “You see the light in their eyes,” says Michael Broyles, director of Raise Your Voice!, an outreach program of Tulsa Opera. The program was launched due to music education budget reductions in Tulsa Public Schools. Thanks to the support of national and local foundations, there is no cost for students, parents or schools to participate. But Raise Your Voice! isn’t just about singing. “Providing the singing scholars opportunities to gain experience, both chorally and as soloists, allows them to build confidence,” Broyles says. “This becomes an important feature in the development of their individual growth as a young adult.” TP
UNDERTHECANOPY.ORG
ANNIEFERRIS.COM/MAKE 14
TulsaPeople AUGUST 2018
TULSAOPERA.COM/EDUCATION/RAISE-YOUR-VOICE
UNDER THE CANOPY, RAISE YOUR VOICE!: VALERIE GRANT; MAKE: COURTESY ANNIE FERRIS
BY ABIGAIL SINGREY
