Portia Tate is one of 20 elementary and middle school principals from across the nation who has been selected by Crayola and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) to receive a “Champion Creatively Alive Children” school grant. Tate is principal of Rivercrest Elementary School in Bartlett.
Crayola and NAESP together selected 20 schools to receive the grants, which will fund innovative programs aimed at building creative capacity school-wide.
The Champion Creatively Alive Children grants are intended to help schools nurture children’s creativity and inspire other schools to do the same. Rivercrest Elementary received a $2,500 monetary grant and $1,000 worth of Crayola products. Tate will share outcomes from their program via NAESP’s website and a special Principal magazine supplement to help other principals develop promising practices related to arts in education.
This grant is focused on using the arts to increase family engagement and honor the learning that occurs beyond school walls. Teachers have received Crayola “creatED” professional development on creative leadership and multi-literacies and are now eager to share those insights and activities with families. Instead of traditional homework, families will create art integration projects together at home that will bridge the learning between home and school.
“Crayola believes that for students to reach their full potential and grow into self-motivated learners, their creativity and critical thinking skills must be nurtured. We believe children develop these 21st century skills when educators ignite their imaginations through art infused education,” said Smith Holland, Crayola president and chief executive officer.
The Champion Creatively Alive Children grant program asks principals to explore a “what if …” learning opportunity. For example, what if schools adopted the arts-infused teaching approach to help students deepen understanding? What if schools relied more on project-based authentic assessment rather than standardized tests? What if parents and schools found ways to document and articulate the value of creative experiences? The entries were judged on innovation, collaboration, and sustainability.
“Principals understand the value of using arts-infused education to ignite deep learning for all students,” said NAESP Executive Director L. Earl Franks. “We’re proud to work with Crayola and the Champion Creatively Alive Children grant program to provide schools with this unique opportunity for resources to enhance students’ creativity and success, providing them the type of complete and well-rounded education that they deserve.”
To view the complete list of the 20 Champion Creatively Alive Children grant recipients, visit naesp.org/creativity.
