P.A.C.E. at S. Ellen Jones Elementary School in New Albany, Indiana, 2020 - 2022
P.A.C.E. was a multi-year, collaborative art & education program that took place between the Carnegie Center for Art & History and our closest public school neighbor, S. Ellen Jones Elementary School, and was sponsored by the Indiana Arts Commission. P.A.C.E. stands for Partnering Arts and Community and Education.
Before successfully applying for the P.A.C.E. grant (a state-wide competitive grant from the Indiana Arts Commission), the Carnegie Center for Art and History did not have any ongoing in-school educational programs with local schools. As a result of the program, the Carnegie Center for Art and History established an interconnected, ongoing relationship with our closest local public school community, positively impacting teachers, parents, & students. The program also provided important data for Indiana Arts Commission’s state research project about the impact of arts on student literacy. CCAH was a runner-up for ONE Award for Non-Profit Program of the Year 2020; nominated for the development of the Carnegie Center for Art & History’s Youth Education Program (which includes P.A.C.E.), bestowed by One Southern Indiana.
Julie Leidner served as lead administrator, program manager, and classroom teacher in the P.A.C.E program with S. Ellen Jones. She coordinated schedules to deliver 40 in-person school visits from Carnegie Center staff to SEJ School in Year 1, 20 in-person and virtual visits in Year 2, and 12 in-person visits in Year 3. Visits included hands-on classroom instruction, leading all-school assemblies, managing all parties including New Albany public school superintendents, administrators, guest artists, and Indianapolis-based grant funders about our goals, purpose, and strategy.
Project Results:
Year 1 , 2019 - 2020 - Publication of hardback book Before She Was Free. Written and illustrated by 3rd Grade students at SEJ over the course of 40 classroom visits, this book is about the story of Civil War nurse Lucy Higgs Nichols, and is available to be checked out in NAFCS school libraries and the Floyd County Library. View complete digital book here:
Year 2 , 2020 - 2021 - Installation of Permanent Artwork titled The Growth Mindset Tree, a permanent ceramic tile mosaic installed in SEJ’s inner courtyard. Each tile in mosaic was created by students and teachers at SEJ over the course of 10 in-person and 10 virtual classroom visits.
Year 3 , 2021 - 2022 - With co-direction from local guest artist Tammy Burke, this final year of the P.A.C.E. program featured the creation of an 80-foot long accordion book in the shape of a caterpillar, with handmade contributions from every student in S. Ellen Jones Elementary School, grades K - 4. Each page of the accordion book features a Rorschach-test style painted butterfly. The process and finished sculpture were exhibited at the school, as well as at the Carnegie Center, and represented S. Ellen Jones' theme of the year: "Growth Mindset."
