The three-week bridge program culminated with a presentation of music, dance, poetry and visual arts.
MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. (August 14, 2018) – Students from the Mount Vernon Performing and Visual Arts Magnet School demonstrated deep cultural and historical awareness during a moving showcase held at the Mount Vernon High School Auditorium on Friday, August 10, 2018.
In the aftermath of the Parkland shooting and other incidents of discrimination and violence, Director of Arts & Gifted and Talented Education Evelyn Collins reflected on the impact of young people as activists and advocates for human rights. This reflection inspired “And the Children Shall Lead Them,” a presentation that culminated three weeks of hard work by 175 students in the Arts Magnet summer bridge program.
“This summer program was focused on teaching our students that they have a voice, and that their voice resonates and has power,” said Collins. “Most of the work demonstrated during ‘And the Children Shall Lead Them’ was created by our students, allowing them to truly lead this performance. They were given the opportunity to explore the idea of activism and culturally-relevant topics and demonstrate their understanding through the arts.”
The two-act performance – directed by Collins – explored historic events, including the apartheid and the civil rights movement, through music, dance, poetry and the visual arts.
“The theme of the summer bridge program is children leading the way, instead of it always being adults,” said Brandon Henry, an incoming sixth grader and band major at the Mount Vernon Performing and Visual Arts Magnet School. “Even just from this summer bridge program, I can see how well this school is going to be for me and how many things I’m going to learn.”
“We learned a lot about history, particularly Black history,” said Christien Fields, an incoming seventh grader and musical theater major. “We learned about Little Rock 9 and even though I knew a little bit about it, I learned more about what happened, like how, when and why they were brought in to integrate the school. We also learned about the Black Lives Matter movement.”
The students’ appreciation for the summer bridge program extended beyond the history lessons taught in the classrooms.
“This program has taught me a lot,” added Fields. “It focuses mainly on what I like to do, which is act. I’ve always wanted to act since a young age and some places I’ve been to haven’t exclusively focused on acting. So, when I came here, they worked exclusively on it and it’s helped make me a better singer. Hopefully, I can get into Broadway with the acting and singing skills that it’s taught.”
“This school is very creative when it comes to its students and I would say, academically, it’s very focused,” said Isis Torres, an incoming seventh grader and dance major. “Our teachers really try their best to get students engaged and make sure they pass all their classes.”
In 2018-2019, the Performing and Visual Arts Magnet School enrollment will include 375 students in grades 6-10 from all Mount Vernon elementary, middle, high, private, Catholic and charter schools. The objective of the school is to provide an educational experience for children passionate about an art discipline. The program provides focused instruction in instrumental music, dance, theater, vocal music and visual arts, similar to that of a college conservatory. Admitted students complete intensive theoretical, historical and practical study in a specified art field, in addition to their general education requirements of New York State.
About the Mount Vernon City School District
With more than 8,000 students in 16 schools, the Mount Vernon City School District is committed to providing a quality education to its children as well as developing programs that meet the diverse academic and social needs of its students.
