Eleven CCSD schools win art awards

Eleven schools in Charleston County School District (CCSD) have received Arts Curricular Innovation Grants (ACIG) through the South Carolina Department of Education.

Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary School and Murray-LaSaine Montessori School were both named a Distinguished Arts Program (DAP). Each school has received an $18,000 grant award to bring artist residencies to the school, professional learning for teachers, and classroom resources for students.

Sanders-Clyde Elementary School, Pepperhill Elementary School, North Charleston High School, Meeting Street at Burns, Meeting Street at Brentwood, Hunley Park Elementary School, W.B. Goodwin Elementary School, E.B. Ellington Elementary School,andA.C. Corcoran Elementary School also received a grant award through the Arts Advancement Program (AEP). The $10,000 grant awards will be used to bring artist residencies and classroom resources to the schools.

The purpose of the ACIG is to assist schools in developing and implementing arts initiatives that support quality arts education programs that significantly improve student achievement in the arts.

Congratulations to these outstanding schools and teachers:

Murray LaSaine Montessori School
Teacher: Heather Teems
Project: “While I Breathe, I hope”
Description: This project requests funding for Sweetgrass Basket Residency, West African Dance Residency, and field trips to the Black Violin and Gibbes Museums.

Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary School
Teacher: Laura Rittle, Olivia Bergen, and Cindy Hines
Project: “40 Years of Arts Integration: Still Young at HeART”
Description: This project requests funding for an artist in residence programs: Black Canvas Mural, Charleston Stage, Taiko Charleston, James Canon – West African Drumming, Jamal Tisdale – dance.

Sanders-Clyde Elementary School
Teacher: Stella Williams
Project: “Dramatic Exploration”
Description: This project requests funding for a puppet artist in residence and materials to create puppets, puppets, and puppet stages.

Pepperhill Elementary School
Teacher: Katelin Gann
Project: “From Blank to Beautiful: A Collaborative Mural Project”
Description: This project requests funding for an artist in residency, visual art, and mural visual art classroom materials.

North Charleston High School
Teacher: Jennifer Connel
Project: “The Digital Canvas- Elevating High School Artistry”
Description: This project requests funding for iPads, software, and accessories for digital art.

Meeting Street – Burns
Teacher: Hannah Lamb
Project: “Growth on Display”
Description: This project requests funding for visual art materials: display panels, easels, pottery wheels, and sewing machines.

Meeting Street Brentwood
Teacher: Jessica Seymour
Project: “Violins are Red, Violas are Blue, We love all the strings, Let’s Bring them to You”
Description: This project requests funding for violins, violas, and music books for students.

Hunley Park Elementary School
Teacher: Makenzie Alexander
Project: “Jumbie Jammin”
Description: This project requests funding for Jumbie Jam steel pans and percussion instruments.

W.B. Goodwin Elementary School
Teacher: Tracey Harler
Project: “South Carolina History, Culture, and Natural Resources in Art”
Description: This project requests funding for an artist in residency, Sweetgrass basket making, indigo dye, and clay and field trips to the Arts Festival, Gibbes, and African American Museums.

E.B. Ellington Elementary School
Teacher: Morgan Koewler
Project: “Animals – Above and Below the Sea”
Description: This project requests funding for visual art materials: a pottery wheel and display panels.

A.C. Corcoran School
Teacher: Heather Carey
Project: “Creating with Clay”
Description: This project requests funding for field trips to Studio Union and Charleston Museum, and visual art materials: clay pottery wheel kits.

All schools with a strategic arts plan are eligible to apply for the DAP grant. All Title I schools are eligible to apply for the AEP grant. For more information, contact the Office of Communications at (843) 937-6303.