2008 Student Docent Program
Fostering Life-Long Art Appreciation and Leadership Skills
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.
Up to 12 Unquowa Student Docents will be chosen from the applicants based on interest, motivation, and demonstrated class performance. New applicants will be given priority,This is a great leadership opportunity for any student already interested in art, or desiring to learn more.
**APPLICATIONS WILL BE GIVEN OUT ON THE FIRST DAY OF ART CLASS, AND ARE DUE BACK TO MS. SABOL BY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12.**
The training dates for Unquowa’s Student Docent program are as follows:
Thursday, September 18, 2008 2:45-4:00*
Thursday, September 25, 2008 2:45-4:00*
Thursday, October 2, 2008 2:45-4:00*
Thursday, October 16, 2008 2:45-4:00*
*The bus will leave from school at 1:45pm and return from the museum at 5pm.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008* 8:15am - 11:30pm (Tours from 9:15pm -10:30pm)
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.
*Please note--this date has been changed due to a conflict with the enrichment performance scheduled for October 22.
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.