Lighthouse Arts & Heritage After-School Program

Delta center for Culture & Learning
Delta State University

Our signature project

visit www.birthplaceoftheblues.com to see one of our recent programs, funded by The History Channel

In 2001, The Delta Center for Culture and Learning began partnering with Communities in Schools, and the Cleveland School District to engage middle school students and college students in service-learning, civic-action arts initiatives in order to facilitate change.  It is through the Lighthouse Arts & Heritage After-School Program that the Delta Center seeks to make Cleveland youth aware of the influence their culture has on the world.  The after-school program, funded by Learn & Serve America through the Mississippi Center for Community and Civic Engagement, brings together D.M. Smith Middle schoolchildren and Delta State students four days a week to promote cultural awareness, provide artistic instruction, and set aside time for tutoring, homework, and enrichment. 

 

Many of the students who participate in the Lighthouse Program have had little opportunity to explore the culture that surrounds them; the goal of the program is to use the rich and varied heritage of the Mississippi Delta to create enthusiasm for learning and to stimulate civic pride and participation among the middle school and university students involved in the partnership while having fun.  By participating in heritage workshops, going on field trips to cultural sites, attending live blues performances, and meeting special guests the children come to gain a much deeper perspective of the place they call home. 


 

Participants explore a wide range of Delta issues and discussion topics including: Blues and Gospel music, the Civil Rights Movement, The Flood of 1927, The Great Migration, Delta foods & agriculture, and the study of various ethnic groups.  Alongside the cultural program, the students participate in individual and group art projects that reflect their newfound awareness of Delta culture. 

The partnership offers volunteer and service-learning opportunities for any Delta State or community members interested in participating in the program. Volunteers serve as tutor-mentors accompanying the youth on field trips, assisting with art projects, and taking a lead role in many of the enrichment and service activities. 

Program Goals:

Ø     To foster among participants a sense of community pride and an interest in the world around them

Ø     To strengthen the community through partnership and service efforts

Ø     To provide students with a better understanding of active citizenship with an increased knowledge interpersonal and problem solving skills, leadership skills, social justice, and diversity

 

The weekly schedule:

* Monday………Tutoring at D.M. Smith, 3:00-5:00

* Tuesday……....Tutoring at D.M. Smith, 3:00-5:00

* Wednesday…...Heritage Fieldtrips, 3:00-5:00

* Thursday…Art at D.M. Smith, 3:00-5:00

For more information on how to involve your child with the Lighthouse after-school program or to VOLUNTEER, contact The Office of Civic Engagement-Delta Center for Culture & Learning at 662-846-4328 or 662-846-4497.