Palo Alto Art Center

The Palo Alto Art Center will collaborate with two school districts to develop, implement, and evaluate a more cost-effective model for its arts-integrated curricula for K to 5th grade students. The project builds upon the museum's Cultural Kaleidoscope program. Run by the two districts for more than 25 years, the program uses the visual arts to build bridges between diverse communities with dramatic academic achievement disparities. The museum will develop new curriculum packages that are aligned with national standards. These will support the development of critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills. A core component of the curricula will engage students in exercises that build empathy and cross-cultural understanding. The project will also help classroom teachers use the arts-integrated curriculum to teach social studies, science, and English language arts. The project will also provide professional development on the new arts-integrated curricula for the museum's teaching artists.