Each season, the Hylton Center Education Initiative strives to present programming that students find engaging and that also aligns with the standards they are learning in school. A goal of the Education Initiative is to provide arts experiences while making connections in other curricular areas. Teachers at Covington-Harper Elementary school recently led a multi-subject unit (art, library, and music) in preparation for their first-grade field trip to Giraffes Can’t Dance at the Hylton Center.
Prior to their field trip, students read the book aloud in their school library and discussed elements of a story. Music teacher Jennie Nichols expanded on each musical genre and dance style found in the book. One activity included students learning the hand jive and duck walk with Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” for “the rhinos rock 'n’ rolled.” Students also used a variety of art-making processes to create their own giraffes using watercolor resist with art teacher Amanda Shaw. Shaw explained the importance pairing classroom learning with the Hylton Center field trip: “These opportunities allow students to experience and make real-life connections to the content and curriculum they are being taught in the classroom. These real-life connections help foster and strengthen students' learning.”
Nichols has participated in several Hylton Center Education Initiative field trips over the years with her students and shared, “Field trips to the Hylton Center provide our students and parent chaperones with memorable experiences in the arts. The free admission, content/calendar of events, and length of field trip are our reasons for coming back year after year. Many times, these field trips act as a student's first theater experience. Our school is on the eastern end of the school division, making this a valuable introduction, not only to theater in general, but also to local arts opportunities.”
The Hylton Center can’t wait to offer additional collaborative opportunities in the 2024–25 season as it continues to offer educational opportunities through its fast-expanding Education Initiative. Learn more about Hylton Center Education Initiative programs.