Student Docent Program Information
"Contemporary art challenges us...it broadens our horizons.
It asks us to think beyond the limits of conventional wisdom."
Eli Broad, art collector
Information for parents of Student Docents:
First of all, I would like to let you all know how pleased I am that your children are participating in the Student Docent program at the Aldrich Museum. It has been such a wonderful experience that has really helped each of them grow as leaders and expand their knowledge and interest in art. We have already had four fantastic training sessions at the museum where each student had the opportunity to practice leading group discussions in the galleries utilizing the questioning techniques they have learned. Each child did magnificently with fielding responses and posing thoughtful follow-up questions. It definitely elicited a well-earned sense of accomplishment in the students after each successful session.
I am writing to invite all of you to the Aldrich Museum on Thursday, February 21 to be a part of your child’s tour group. Each group of two docents will lead a tour of students at 10am through the exhibits, and then another tour at 11am. It will be a great opportunity to see your child’s accomplishment and to finally see those crazy lingual birds they’ve been talking about!
Please let me know if you would like to attend. We are leaving as a group from school at 9am on the bus and returning at 1pm. You are welcome to join us, or to drive yourself and meet us at the museum. I hope everyone is able to make it, but if not, I encourage you to make a trip to the museum with your student docent so that they can show off their knowledge and skills. I am very impressed with each of their effort, commitment, and enthusiasm.
Thank you, and I look forward to seeing you on the 21st,
Ms. Sabol
As an additional note, I am planning on having the docents stay after school on Wednesday, February 20th from 3:30-4:00 to briefly review before their tours the next day. It will be a nice way to regroup after our two week break and ease any last minute anxieties.
Below, the Student Docents practice leading their classmates through discussions of the current exhibits at the Aldrich Museum.
Congratulations to this year's Student Docents!
The Aldrich Museum Student Docent Program is a school program for 6th through 8th graders designed to equip students with the skills needed to discover and connect with contemporary art. In essence, the Museum teaches small groups of students from each participating school to lead discussions about contemporary art with their classmates. Led though the exhibition by their peers, students on the tour are more likely to make connections between the work on view and their own experiences. Student Docents attend four training sessions with a Museum educator for each exhibition. These training sessions use an inquiry-based approach to teach students the skills needed to decode and analyze a work of art. When training is complete, the Docents use the same approach to engage their classmates in a conversation about the art during a class field trip to the Museum.
8-10 Unquowa Student Docents will be chosen from the applicants based on interest, motivation, and demonstrated class performance. This is a great leadership opportunity for any student already interested in art, or desiring to learn more.
The training dates for Unquowa’s Student Docent program are as follows:
Wednesday, January 9, 2008 3:30-4:30 In-school info session for Student Docents
Wednesday, January 16, 2008 2:45-4:00*
Wednesday, January 23, 2008 2:45-4:00*
Wednesday, January 30, 2008 2:45-4:00*
Wednesday, February 6, 2008 2:45-4:00*
SNOW DATE (if necessary)
Wednesday, February 13, 2008 2:45-4:00*
*The bus will leave from school at 1:45pm and return from the museum at 5pm.
Thursday, February 21, 2008 9:00-1:00 (Tours from 10:00-12:00)
All 6th through 8th graders will visit the Aldrich to view the exhibits while the Student Docents lead the tour. Also, students will have a chance to create an art project based on one of the exhibitions.
The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
258 Main Street
Ridgefield, CT 06877
203.438.4519
www.aldrichart.org
Any additional questions, please contact Ms. Sabol at ksabol@unquowa.org or 203.336.3801 ext. 110.