Creative Learning Labs

At ArtSparks, we believe that all children deserve access to enriching learning opportunities that unlock their minds, engage their hearts, and ignite creative confidence. While the barriers to learning are very real, we also believe that if we make learning and learning environments interactive, fun, and inclusive, more children will learn, and more importantly, shed inhibitions that restrict learning.

To this end, ArtSparks Foundation’s Creative Learning Labs serve children, Grades 1 through 8, attending local Govt. and low-fee/aided schools. Through a year-long program, children attending these schools receive access to a vibrant space that uses the mediums of visual art and design to facilitate meaningful learning that is hands-on, experiential, and inquiry-based.

The primary focus of the Lab, and the carefully designed interventions in place within, is to develop students’ capacities across the eight performance indicators listed below. These 8 skills and attitudes are integral to a student's holistic growth and development, and if nurtured consistently, have shown to positively impact their participation in school and learning in other domains.

PROBLEM SOLVING
​Student’s reflect on the artistic problem and create thoughtful solutions; students recognize that a single problem can have multiple solutions; student’s plan, ideate/brainstorm, prototype

COLLABORATION
​Student’s work well with others in team; student’s listen to others’ ideas; they suspend judgment; come to a shared agreement; share materials

COMMUNICATION
​Student’s articulate their intent; they listen respectfully; ask questions for clarification; they take turns to talk

FLEXIBLE THINKING
​Student’s consider alternate points of view; they consider multiple solutions; student’s stay open to others ideas; student’s change course if need be to find alternative solutions; they use materials in unique different ways

CREATIVE RISK TAKING
Student’s try new strategies, techniques, and/or ideas; they display a willingness to make “mistakes” and learn from them; students are comfortable with ambiguity

INVESTIGATION
​Student’s question to uncover different possibilities; they explore and allow discoveries to lead the way

CLOSE OBSERVATION
​Student’s look carefully and pay attention to details
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PERSEVERANCE
Student’s keep going until the work is finished; they periodically stop to reflect on what they’ve done, and then continue working; student’s do not give up when they encounter challenges

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Kala Minugu

Kala Minugu is ArtSparks Foundation's Creative Learning Lab program newsletter. The newsletter intends to bring out the stories from our field labs, new initiatives within the program, and a glimpse of events that have occurred in our Creative Learning Labs. We hope you enjoy reading through the newsletters.

Click here to learn more.