z e r a h a

Thousand Kites

Zoë Reznick Gewanter — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:33:03 +0000

Thousand Kites – A national community-based performance, web, video and radio project centered on the United States prison system.

Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS)

Zoë Reznick Gewanter — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:37:10 +0000

Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS)

Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), is a school curriculum and teaching method that

Uses art to develop critical thinking, communication and visual literacy skills

Asks educators to facilitate learner-centered discussions of visual art

Engages learners in a rigorous process of examination and meaning-making through visual art

Measurably increases observation skills, evidential reasoning, and speculative abilities

Engenders the willingness and ability to find multiple solutions to complex problems

Uses facilitated discussion to enable students to practice respectful, democratic, collaborative problem solving skills that over time transfer to other classroom interactions, and beyond

Uses eager, thoughtful participation to nurture verbal language skills, and writing assignments to assist transfer from oral to written ability

Produces growth in all students, from challenged and non-English language learners to high achievers

Underscore connections to art and strengthens the role of museums as a valuable resource in students’ lives

Visit VUE.

Community Arts Network (CANN)

Zoë Reznick Gewanter — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:49:02 +0000

Promoting information exchange, research and critical dialogue within the field of community-based art.

Visit CANN here!

Nomvula’s Knitters

Zoë Reznick Gewanter — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:00:29 +0000

A socially-conscious company featuring knitwear for children and adults handmade in St. Francis Bay, South Africa by community residents.

Visit Nomvula’s at http://nomvulas.com/

Kids on the Hill Becomes New Lens

Zoë Reznick Gewanter — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:52:38 +0000

Baltimore art and media-based youth organization Kids onthe Hill takes a new direction…read more here.

LA Times: “Laton: the little California town that served as a muse”

Zoë Reznick Gewanter — Fri, 01 May 2009 05:09:45 +0000

Read the article.

American Art Resources Enhances the Patient Experience by Creating Therapeutic Aesthetic Environments

Zoë Reznick Gewanter — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 10:07:55 +0000

For over twenty-five years, American Art Resources has devoted itself to understanding and bettering the experience of being a patient.

The firm is the only major art consulting firm in the United States working exclusively with the healthcare industry. Recognized as a pioneer and leader in the field of therapeutic environments, American Art Resources was selected by the American Hospital Association to write the definitive standards for developing healthcare art programs.

To date, our work encompasses more than 100 million square feet of hospital construction and renovation projects, with a total construction cost of nearly nine billion dollars. We are honored to work with the nation’s leading healthcare companies and the many talented architects, planners, and interior designers who create their projects.

Visit American Art Resources.

Introduction to Restorative Justice from Restorative Justice Online

Zoë Reznick Gewanter — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 03:48:02 +0000

An introduction to restorative justice from Restorative Justice Online:

Restorative justice is a theory of justice that emphasizes repairing the harm caused or revealed by criminal behaviour. It is best accomplished through cooperative processes that include all stakeholders.

Encounter: Create opportunities for victims, offenders and community members who want to do so to meet to discuss the crime and its aftermath

Amends: Expect offenders to take steps to repair the harm they have caused

Reintegration: Seek to restore victims and offenders to whole, contributing members of society

Inclusion: Provide opportunities for parties with a stake in a specific crime to participate in its resolution

Practices and programs reflecting restorative purposes will respond to crime by:

Identifying and taking steps to repair harm,

Involving all stakeholders, and

Transforming the traditional relationship between communities and their governments in responding to crime.

Some of the programmes and outcomes typically identified with restorative justice include:

Victim offender mediation

Conferencing

Circles

Victim assistance

Ex-offender assistance

Restitution

Community service

Three principles form the foundation for restorative justice:

Justice requires that we work to restore those who have been injured.

Those most directly involved and affected by crime should have the opportunity to participate fully in the response if they wish.

Government’s role is to preserve a just public order, and the community’s is to build and maintain a just peace.

Restorative programmes are characterized by four key values:

Encounter: Create opportunities for victims, offenders and community members who want to do so to meet to discuss the crime and its aftermath

Amends: Expect offenders to take steps to repair the harm they have caused

Reintegration: Seek to restore victims and offenders to whole, contributing members of society

Inclusion: Provide opportunities for parties with a stake in a specific crime to participate in its resolution

Visit RJ Online.

Restorative Healing at the Woodbourne Center

Zoë Reznick Gewanter — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:13:53 +0000

Serving youth and their families in Maryland since 1798, Woodbourne integrates the Restorative Healing Model (based on principles of community restorative justice) into each of their programs:

Children come to Woodbourne having been exposed to many traumatic life events. Such trauma can affect the brain’s chemistry, shut down feelings, obliterate trust, and lead to negative and destructive behaviors.

To help children reclaim their lives, Woodbourne employs the Restorative Healing Model in every program. All of our clinical staff are trained to utilize Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT) to specifically address the impact of trauma in the lives of the clients at Woodbourne. TFCBT is an evidenced-based practice that is another significant component of the Restorative Healing Model.

…Restorative Justice asks children to look at what they’ve done to others, with the goal of “restoring” what was taken or damaged. Assuming responsibility for wrongdoing is a crucial step in healing.

Visit the Woodbourne Center.

Arts Education Partnership

Zoë Reznick Gewanter — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:38:38 +0000

The Arts Education Partnership (AEP) is a national coalition of arts, education, business, philanthropic and government organizations that demonstrate and promote the essential role of the arts in the learning and development of every child and in the improvement of America’s schools. AEP was founded and is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and U.S. Department of Education in cooperation with the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. Together they are the Governance Committee of AEP.

The Partnership includes over 140 organizations that are national in scope and impact. It also includes state and local partnerships focused on influencing educational policies and practices to promote quality arts education. Partnership organizations affirm the central role of imagination, creativity and the arts in culture and society; the power of the arts to enliven and transform education and schools; and collective action through partnerships as the means to place the arts at the center of learning.

Visit the AEP.