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SHARE ART APPRECIATION WITH CHILDREN ABROAD

by Jamie Littlefield – Senior Editor, Children's Issues
art appreciation

Art appreciation is regularly neglected in education, particularly in struggling countries that can't afford professional art teachers or art supplies for their young students. Unfortunately, failing to provide students with an art education deprives them of knowledge and skills that are crucial to healthy development.

Instruction in art appreciation helps students develop self confidence. They learn that they can use painting, drawing, and other artistic forms as a positive way to express themselves. Participating in arts and crafts projects helps children develop motor skills, such as hand-eye coordination. In addition, art appreciation training helps children develop their creativity and connects them to their communities. Studies show that art education also promotes critical thinking and helps children become better observers. Students who participate in the arts are more likely to do well in all of their courses.

Consider spending your next vacation teaching art appreciation to children in Brazil, China, Mexico, or another country that needs your help. Spend your evenings strolling the city streets, meeting the artisans and learning about the artistic culture of the country. Spend your days watching kids create their own masterpieces and beaming with pride after mastering the art skills you teach them.

You don't have to be a Picasso or a Monet to help children learn about art. If you have no artistic experience, you can help children at schools and hospitals develop art appreciation with simple arts and crafts projects. If you are a professional artist, you can create school murals with a positive message and spread art appreciation at festivals and community events. However great or small your artistic talents, your volunteer vacation can make a big difference in the lives of young artists around the world.

If you want to teach art appreciation, consider one of these creative volunteer experiences:

  • Projects Abroad sends volunteers to Guadalajara, Mexico where they learn from and assist world renowned artisans as they create handmade pottery and other crafts. Volunteers then travel to local schools and use their new artistic talents to teach native children during arts and crafts workshops.
  • Projects Abroad also offers volunteers the opportunity to teach drama courses to young students in Brasov, Romania. Students in this area are anxious to learn about the theater arts, but there is little formal instruction available. Volunteers can help young people practice play lines in English, create sets, or put together costumes.
  • A program from Global Volunteers sends vacationers to Brazil where they put a smile on the faces of seriously ill children by participating in arts and crafts activities. Volunteers also spend their time working with at-risk preschool children.
  • i-to-i volunteers in La Paz, Bolivia help street children get an education by teaching them arts and crafts at libraries, parks, and plazas. They form friendships with their young students and act as mentors. The playful workshops help develop self esteem and encourage the kids to return to traditional schools.
  • Global Crossroads sends volunteers to China, where they teach art classes and provide music instruction to eager students. Volunteers direct plays and help students come up with lyrics – all in English.
  • A program from Art Corps sends professional artists and art school graduates to help communities in several countries. Artists in Guatemala and El Salvador work to convey messages such as staying healthy and protecting the environment through their artistic creations. They create murals, make masks, perform skits, and paint pictures. They work with children at local schools and with adults in the community.

You may return from your volunteer vacation with a suitcase full of paintings, pottery, and other artistic handicrafts. But, your favorite masterpiece is sure to be the memories you create while giving children a talent that will help them throughout their lives.