The Garden of Fire program is in full steAm! We are now in week five of the six-week summer program, and youth seem to be fully engaged and enjoying each special earth-themed workshop provided by professional artists and educators.
The Earth theme for this year’s program provides ample opportunity to create enriching lesson plans, covering topics of pollution, conservation, sustainability, geology, animals, plants, growth and more.
Incorporating arts and science, engineering and sculpture, natural patterns and math, wellness and wisdom, drumming and rhythm provides a unique, educational experience. It is incredibly rewarding to have the opportunity to teach the youth in the program, knowing that we are impacting and influencing their lives in a positive way.
During the first week of the program, we created 2-dimensional animal habitat scenes using recycled materials – repurposing trash into art! The youth were very imaginative in their renditions of the animal habitats, transforming the recycled materials into nature and animal textures in their scenes.
In the third week of the program, we sculpted vessels out of clay, the mud of the earth, and decorated them with designs inspired by nature. The completed fossilized vessels resemble actual fossils found in rocks on the earth’s surface.
It is a gift to spend time with each other to discuss, communicate and share ideas. Encouraging the youth and staff to speak openly without criticism, to make new friends, to interact with peers they do not typically interact with, to try new activities and learn new skills are all gifts to treasure and grow from. These experiences provide us with the foundation and strength to power our mind, body, and soul.
It is our responsibility as artists and educators to give back to the earth by teaching the youth participants to care for, appreciate and respect the beautiful and irreplaceable earth we live on.
Mother earth gives us the gift of nature and the Garden of Fire gives us the gift of spending time together connecting to nature. Through the Garden of Fire collaborative, it is a shared effort to teach and support the children in the community, cherishing the time spent together, and making every teachable moment count.
Garden of Fire 