Leaps and Bounds, now in it's 10th year, is an arts education program at Mainspring School and Allison Elementary School. Directed by Artistic Director Allison Orr and taught by three teaching artists, the program provides free classes in creative movement to children from families of low-income. The program has become a critical part of the arts educational programming at both schools, and each school provides both cash and in-kind support in order to match the program's cost. In 2011, Forklift will lead 200 classes serving over 100 children who would otherwise be unlikely to have access to this kind of arts enrichment programming.
At Mainspring School, Leaps and Bounds provides weekly creative movement classes to all of the children enrolled ages 2-5, as well as teacher trainings, infant/toddler movement sessions, and a final spring performance. The program runs November through March. The program has expanded in 2011 to now run year-long!
At Allison Elementary School, the program provides weekly creative movement classes to a select group of 12-15 girls from 2nd and 3rd grade. With the goal of improving self-esteem and confidence, the school counselors and teachers indentify girls who are in need of and would benefit from this program. The classes conclude with a final performance, open to the families and teachers of the performing children along with students from the after-school program. This program runs October-May.
Apart from the overall goal of teaching underserved children, Leaps and Bounds provides artistic programming that engages the children in the creative process, supports the children’s developmental progress, improves the children’s ability to work in a group setting, and strengthens the students’ concept of themselves as artists and creators.