Education Lessons from the pandemic
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“My favorite thing,” one student said, “was the Greek mythology. Looking at art made me think I can make that type of art because, before this, I could not make a cup or a pot.” Gains in confidence is a much-desired outcome for the program.
Worcester organizations were fast to respond.
“We are looking at the social and emotional well-being of students,” said Elizabeth Buck, Manager of Studio Class Programs at WAM. “Social and emotional needs are different from academic needs, but are every bit as important. During remote learning, these needs could not always be met by schools.”
hat Worcester’s educators learn from this pandemic will help students for decades to come. Overnight, learning shifted from a classroom to a screen on a kitchen table. Some students shared that table with breakfast dishes, siblings, and one or two parents working from home. Many families had only one computer, if that. Internet service was not always available. And teachers, also at home, were not yet up to speed on the platforms and apps they had to use.
With leadership from the Worcester Education Collaborative (WEC) and funding from the Worcester Together Fund, organizations across the city, including the Worcester Art Museum, sought ways to help the city’s students during the pandemic. Remote learning was far from ideal, especially for families with limited resources. Students lost daily contact with their support systems at school, and educators worried that important social and emotional skills would suffer. The urgency was palpable. Students needed the community’s help. “Learning loss was happening locally and nationally. It was an emergency,” says Marnie Weir, Director of Education and Experience at WAM. Groups asked: What can we do? One innovative program was Woo-Labs—‘Woo’ being the affectionate name Worcester residents have for their city. Organizations like the YWCA, the Boys and Girls Club, Girls Inc., Mass Audubon Broad Meadow Brook, Main IDEA, the EcoTarium, and the Worcester Art Museum took part in Woo-Labs’ effort to extend learning beyond the school day to address learning loss worsened by inequities plaguing public education. As can happen with social change, disruption spurs opportunity. Emily Dodge, Assistant Director of WEC, worked with Woo-Labs’ partners to set goals, seek data, build resources, share best practices, and leverage technology. Project-based learning outside the school day was a key tool. And this past summer, positive results began to emerge.
“At the end of the first eight-week session, we’ve seen signs of change, said Buck. “We’ve noted improvements in how the students relate to their peers. How they listen. How much more comfortable they are with each other. How confident they are communicating within groups. We see, also, an increase in problem-solving and a little more self-sufficiency. And we expect to see more.” When asked what she was looking forward to next, one student in the program said: “Sculptures.” And what did she enjoy about being with other kids her age? “We talked,” she said. And, finally, when asked what came as a surprise to her when making art, she said: “People can be so creative.” There is much to come. “In the throes of this pandemic, to come together to serve the youth of the area is a credit to the community of Worcester,” said Weir. “It shows the dedication of this collaboration, and, frankly, a love of children—wanting them to be their best selves. The need is now. We couldn’t wait. That would leave students behind.”
“We went through the first set of data and were thrilled to see improvements in five critical areas including relationship building and critical thinking,” said Dodge. WAM, too, is starting to see promising, often heartwarming, results. This fall, twenty students in kindergarten through fifth grade explored arts of the ancient world at WAM on Saturdays. These free sessions for the city’s youngest students will run through June. WAM’s studio class faculty, in collaboration with other Woo-Labs partners, used standardized tools to assess and report their findings. At WAM, students began each studio class with gallery explorations. One Saturday, they looked at Greek ceramics and discussed why ceramics were made, how they were made, and why makers took the time to decorate ceramics. Eager young students then began their own related art projects. Woo-Labs participants work on an art project at WAM this fall.
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Learn more at worcesterart.org
