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As a way of promoting Amazement
Square's accessibility to all children and providing hands-on learning
opportunities for the region's underserved communities and schools,
the museum's multifaceted Inside-Out Outreach Program is
a significant outcome of its exhibits and workshop activities, and
an important tenet of its education philosophy. Inside-Out,
which complements Virginia's SOL curriculum, offers hands-on and
practical activities in the arts, humanities and sciences to students
during and after school.
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Amazement Square’s outreach programs are funded in part by the generosity of
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A student from the Laurel Regional School
enjoying
craft time assisted by Amazement Square staff |
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Children of all ability levels deserve the opportunity to experience the joy of creative expression and hands-on, interactive learning. That is why in 2003 Amazement Square joined efforts with the Laurel Regional School, a school that serves students who are severely mentally and physically handicapped, to help improve the educational and recreational opportunities available to students with special needs.
Through regular hands-on programming, students who participate in the Everyone is Special Partnership are able to focus their creativity in new and innovative ways. |
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A student from the Boys amd Girl's Club reading
to a groupchildren. |
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At Amazement Square, it's never too early to dream big! We believe imagining what the future holds is sometimes all it takes to inspire youth to set goals and strive for the best. That's why in 2005 we began Full Speed Ahead with local Middle School students. In 2007, we adapted the program to involve the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lynchburg. This innovative career development program gives area youth an opportunity to not just imagine their potential, but to experience it as well! In 2008, the Full Speed Ahead program was expanded to include the CityArts mosaic mural project, allowing participants to oversee the daily progress of the summer’s mosaic panel. |
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CityArts participants help place tiles on our mural. |
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Amazement Square’s CityArts Mosaic Mural Project was established in 2002 in order to help youth develop an understanding of various art forms, acquire specific artistic skills, and play an important role in the process of creating outdoor public art. The program encourages youth to interact with people of different backgrounds, abilities, and ages. Not only do participants make a lasting contribution to their community but they also learn about teamwork and benefit from cross-cultural interaction.
In 2002, CityArts created the steel bug sculpture perched on the sidewalk across the street from the museum. In 2004, it created "Spirals," the caterpillar bike rack next to the museum's entrance. Since 2005, CityArts has been working on a 4,800 square foot mosaic mural across from the museum with the help of schools, families, church groups and summer camps. Each summer CityArts will a new mosaic panel illustrating a piece of Lynchburg history. This summer the tiling continues as we add a panel depicting Lynchburg during the 1820s into the mosaic mural highlighting the history of Lynchburg. Read More...
To volunteer or find out more information on this exciting program, please contact the City Arts Program Coordinator, at 434-845-1888 or schooltour@amazementsquare.org.
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A student from Hutcherson
enjoying craft time assisted by Amazement Square staff |
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Amazement Square has reached out and partnered up with Hutcherson Early Learning Center! This school is dedicated to serving children between the ages of two and five who have been found eligible for Early Childhood Special Education services. Since beginning in 2007, members of Amazement Square’s Education Department have delivered fun, hands-on, educational programming to the students through a series of visits to the school, and in the museum. This program proves it’s never too early to put on your thinking cap and make learning fun!
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A student from the Boys and Girl's Club
learning
about living a healthy lifestyle. |
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Amazement Square has teamed up with the Boys and Girl’s Club of Greater Lynchburg! Throughout the summer of 2007, museum staff worked with the members of the Club in a series of workshops, designed to foster healthy development and increase school readiness. During the 2007-2008 school year, museum staff has continued to work at the Club with a series of after school programs, focusing on healthy lifestyle choices and African American history.
During the summer of 2008, middle school students from the Boys and Girls Club participated in the Full Speed Ahead program and assisted with the installation of the CityArts mosaic mural. Throughout this past fall, members of the Boys and Girls Club got back to the books by participating in The Big Read Lynchburg.
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The Amazing Adventures of Scorpy Bug is an educational comic series that offers teachers and students an innovative method to address the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) curriculum. The series’ engaging visuals, relevant topics, fun facts, and challenging activities also offer interactive learning opportunities that families can enjoy together. Since 2005, the series has been published daily in The News & Advance for 35 weeks during the school year and selected portions of the series have been published in comic book format for use in classrooms or at home. In 2007, Amazement Square was one of six museums in Virginia to receive the highly-competitive “Museums for America” grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services to further develop The Amazing Adventures of Scorpy Bug. Read more... |
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