Expanding Arts For Every Life® with Kiwanis
This year, Dr. Phillips Center is eager to expand on our vision of Arts For Every Life® by introducing a new school partner in Project WoW (World of Wonder).
Because of the generous support of the Kiwanis Club of Orlando Foundation, we’re able to welcome the Orlando Day Nursery at Lake Dot into our arts education family. This inclusion expands the program’s presence in Parramore, which now includes schools in all three sections of that community.
Project WoW works to engage low- to moderate-income preschool children in a model for early childhood education that focuses on the integration of science and performing arts. The initiative includes weekly hands-on lesson plans for preschool students at education partner sites, in-depth mentoring for teachers and a family engagement component.
The key results of the Project WOW program include:
- Teaching preschoolers how to use the performing arts to experience and analyze the world around them
- Equipping teachers with the tools to engage the arts in everyday learning through professional development
- Providing an opportunity for parents to enjoy performance with their small children
This is the second gift the Kiwanis Club of Orlando Foundation has provided to Dr. Phillips Center—the first was a significant contribution to establish our Arts Education Scholarship Fund in 2014. By choosing to return as donors, the Kiwanis Club of Orlando Foundation has reaffirmed its commitment to sharing arts education with local students.
The Kiwanis Club of Orlando is a community service organization where professionals, retirees, students, and civic volunteers all come together with one common goal: serving the needs of children in Central Florida. Club members meet weekly to network, share a few laughs and learn more about the community. The Orlando Day Nursery is the club's oldest community service project, dating back to the 1920s. The daycare facility provides childcare options for working moms with limited resources.