DAYTIME ART & TECHNOLOGY

The Gold Crown Foundation works closely with Jefferson County R-1 Schools (Colorado's largest school district) to provide art and technology classes to neighborhood middle school students. The classes are taken for elective credit, and coincide with the district's 12-week trimester system. Currently, about 30 students from Creighton Middle School are bussed to the Gold Crown Fieldhouse each semester where they create collaborative art and technology projects.

School administrators and teachers select students who would thrive in an off-site, non-traditional learning environment. Students spend a trimester learning in our classrooms, equipped with the latest software, technology and art materials. They are taught by highly-qualified staff who design a challenging curriculum that help students meet or exceed state standards. Students produce stand-alone works and also integrate original artwork with technology projects. At the end of the semester, each student takes home an impressive visual and digital art portfolio.

In technology students have access to 15 computers, a scanner, digital cameras, a digital video editing station, and a soundproof music studio. This gives them the opportunity to create, edit, and publish their own projects which include, videos, websites, games and more. The very nature of technology and this interest-based curriculum encourages interaction, communication, problem solving, interdisciplinary learning, and creativity. Students develop an extensive skill set by running all aspects of the projects, including pre-planning, production, and analysis.

In the art classroom space students learn how to draw under the instruction of professional working artists. Integrating design concepts across both art and technology, students learn about line quality, composition, perspective, and color theory while exploring different methods of self-expression. Students work across a variety of mediums and are urged to push themselves – all in an environment where students are given access to professional art materials where effort and exploration are rewarded.

The students are proud of and excited about what they are doing, and it shows in their expressions, attitudes, and actions. This innovative model has been closely observed by school administrators and other teachers through regular visits to the site.