After School Program Promotes Confidence, Art Skills

Late last month, about 40 students in the East Windsor Regional school district embarked on a new learning experience. The children are enrolled in an after-school program called KidzArt, an eight-week class for kids that is sponsored in all four of the district’s elementary schools throughout the school year by the East Windsor Recreation Department.

Cheryl Ziliani is the franchise owner of Mercer County KidzArt, which runs the program being offered in East Windsor Schools.

Her KidzArt class has been taught for approximately the past four years in East Windsor schools, and has been available at East Windsor public libraries. It will be offered this month on Monday, April 18, and Tuesday, April 19, at the Pump It Up in Hamilton for half-day "Jump n Art Workshops."

It can also be taken at Mercer County Community College over the summer through its 2011 Camp College program.

“It’s a drawing-based enrichment class where we want them to have fun first,” Ziliani said. “There are no mistakes in class. We just want them to try their best.”

In each class, students are taught by KidzArt instructors to break down their drawings into steps and lines to create a picture, Ziliani said. All KidzArt instructors are either certified art teachers, elementary school teachers or are enrolled in a school program to become teachers, she said.

Students use mediums like pastels and watercolors, learn about masters like Claude Monet, and are taught concepts like abstract versus realism, foreground, background and perspective, she said.

“KidzArt is a lot of fun,” said Emily Barry, a second-grade student at Grace Norton Rogers Elementary School. We get to do a lot of cool projects, like clay and scratch art.”

Said Mackenzie Hoeflinger, also a second-grade student at Grace Norton Rogers Elementary School, “I love KidzArt. I am learning easy ways to draw things I never knew how to draw before.”

In line with the idea that there are no mistakes in art class, KidzArt students complete their drawings with Sharpies, or permanent markers. Kids are encouraged to learn or problem-solve around what they might think are mistakes. Ziliani said this requires the students to stick with a drawing from start to finish, and not to start over again if they feel an error is made, Ziliani said.

Kids in this East Windsor schools spring session will learn to use a wide variety of techniques and materials, Ziliani added.  

Upcoming classes this spring include using chalk pastels, drawing cartoons, learning how to use watercolors, and making clay sculptures -- with a few artistic surprises thrown in, added Ziliani.