Old School Square Cultural Arts Center, Delray Beach, FL

Since 1993, Old School Square has been filling the void left by declining arts programs in the public schools. It is our belief that children benefit most from hands-on visual and performing arts. Therefore, Old School Square has focused on bringing tours and classes to the center rather than taking programs to the schools, as many children in Palm Beach County have had limited exposure to museums, live theatre, music, or art instruction. These programs reach nearly 10,000 children each year.

Our Teacher Resource Guide is available to all Palm Beach County Teachers who are interested in bringing students to Old School Square.

Kickin' Arts®

Initiated 1994, this is Old School Square’s signature program. The Kickin’ Arts Club is currently being developed as a new concept for the Cornell Museum’s interactive children’s gallery.

Twenty-five residency days are offered to all Palm Beach County school students in grades 4 & 5. The program provides a full day at the cultural center and includes a tour of the historic buildings (with emphasis on historic preservation), a visual arts workshop, an interactive lunch, and a live on-stage activity in the Crest Theatre (which includes an introduction to technical theatre and a choreographed dance routine). The program's curriculum is designed to meet the Sunshine State Standards for Language Arts, Visual Arts, Social Studies, theatre and dance. Participating teachers are given suggested discussion topics for their classes which include the value of preserving the past, the importance of museums, and the contribution of the arts to society. Teachers who have returned each year with their classes comment that the program's discussions of history, preservation, art forms and multi-culturalism have complemented their weekly lessons and allowed them so see their students in a different light. Note - this program costs about $25.00 per student. Currently we receive 1/5 of that cost from the school through field trip budgets. The program is offered to two classes each residency day (totaling 60 students). The program reaches 1,500 students per year.

Children's Theatre Series

Twice a year the Crest Theatre presents national tours of exceptional children's programs for elementary and middle school students in the Delray Beach area. These are free or at a minimal cost.

Children's Summer Theatre Series

The Crest Theatre presents two national tours of exceptional children's programs for summer camps, child-care facilities, children's organizations and to the public. The cost is minimal.

Art FUNdamentals

A guided, 90-minute tour where participants analyze, interpret, and discuss the current exhibit in the Cornell Museum of Art and History. The tour is followed by a related art activity, and a study guide is provided to integrate activities into classroom studies. Thirty students per group participate at a minimal cost to the student. Twenty tours are scheduled per year, totaling 600 students.

Student Showcase Gallery

Initiated in 2003, this program presents one-person exhibits, rotating every six months, featuring the work of a high school senior or recent graduate. The program was established to recognize Palm Beach County student achievement in the arts and to increase awareness of the on-going need for arts education in Palm Beach County schools. The museum is currently working with Atlantic High School in Delray Beach for student selection and plans to expand to other Palm Beach County high schools in the future.

Heritage Arts Series (or HA!)

Initiated in 1998, but suspended in 2006 due to funding cuts, The Heritage Arts Program was developed by Old School Square to give area students exposure to other cultures and ethnic backgrounds through the arts. It is an eight-week, dance-anchored program offered twice a year at no cost to the students. Twenty-four students from area elementary schools participate in the program, where they are given one hour of dance each week, coupled with an hour of either art or music. The students are taught dance movements and their history from five countries - Early America, Africa, Japan, Latin America and the Caribbean. The art projects and music lessons also coincide with the specific countries. At the end of the eight week session, all students participate in an evening showcase for their family, friends and school associates. The showcase includes a performance segment with dances, songs, and musical instrument demonstration, and an exhibit segment, where the art projects are creatively displayed. Students are given their art projects and information on the countries they have studied.

In many of the programs outlined above, collateral material and art supplies are given to students at no charge to take home to continue the artistic process. Old School Square also offers up to 20 scholarships per year for children to attend regular art classes at the center and up to six scholarships per summer for Early Childhood Art Camp.