Lighthouse Arts & Heritage After-School Program
Delta center for Culture & Learning
Delta State University
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.