In the summer of 2007 HCEF was able for the first time to offer agencies with educational programs a series of week-long "camp" experiences for their resident children. One of the camp opportunities was storytelling with master storyteller Jackie Jonas. Another was the Pittsburgh Dance Ensemble's African Cultural Expression workshop. This camp introduced children to African culture, arts, and history through drumming, movement, and language.
Since the summer of 2008 HCEF has made available to its "partners in learning" multiple opportunities for their resident children to explore the world of science through Pittsburgh-based LabRatz Science Club. The children revel in creating chemical reactions, getting acquainted with a turtle named Maxwell, using a microscope to see microbes as well as human cells and body tissue, finding fossils in shale, piecing together skeletal remains, understanding potential and kinetic energy, exploring electricity and magnetism. LabRatz offers both a week-long summer "camp" and an after-school option.
2012 opportunities included:
- Art and Languages (French/Spanish) study combined with dance, drumming, visual art, crafts, music offered by the Institute of International Arts and Languages. See a related photo story combining French language instruction with the making of crêpes and the YOUTUBE video What's Cooking After School
- Craft workshops with the Society for Contemporary Craft
- Science workshops with the LabRatz Science Club. See the video Testing the Waters with Labratz
- Silk-screen workshops with the Andy Warhol Museum. See a related photo story.
- Saturday Light Brigade Radio workshops
- America’s Arts & Music Crossroads
- The Schmutz Company Puppetry and Animation
Between 2009 and May 2011, HCEF has provided 675 CAPE workshops totaling over 1000 hours of instruction.
These accelerated "camp" and after-school programs are funded principally by corporate contributions received through Pennsylvania's Education Improvements Tax Credit (EITC) program. 2011 participants are BNY Mellon, Direct Energy, Dollar Bank, Eat'n Park, Equitable Gas, Gateway Health Plan, PNC Financial Services Group, and UPMC. Additional funding is being provided by the Ayers Foundation, DreamMakers, E.V. Randall, Jr. Foundation, and the Tides Foundation
(1/25/12)
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