Meeting Challenges in Education and Building Community Partnerships with Elizabeth Public Schools and VACNJ

The Elizabeth Public Schools face a big challenge – they are home to 5,107 students (increasing by 675 students in the last year alone) representing more than 29 languages and countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, and El Salvador. Due to the destabilizing world events impacting those countries, students enter the school system with a range of academic, social and emotional needs. The district is committed to supporting these students so they may succeed academically. However, it is also trying to help them find a sense of belonging to their community. It is within this context that the Elizabeth Public Schools partnered with CALTA21 and the Visual Arts Center in Summit, NJ – because CALTA21 supports academic learning by strengthening each student’s voice and encouraging the sharing of their personal narratives during the museum experience.

Meeting Challenges in Education and Building Community Partnerships with Elizabeth Public Schools and VACNJ

We hosted numerous CALTA21 Professional Development sessions at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey over the course of the 2017-2018 school year. Museum leadership staff from the center, along with more than thirty-five middle and high school… Read More