Spiral Q’s SPARQ (in Schools West) program continues into the 2015-2016 school year. This Fall, we are kicking off our IGNITION programming for 2,500 of Philadelphia’s finest kindergartners, 8th-graders, and everyone in between at our partner schools: Blankenburg Elementary, Locke Elementary, Middle Years Alternative, Rhoads Elementary and Belmont Charter. SPARQ (in Schools West)’s IGNITION programs are a spark that exposes young people to Spiral Q’s unique form of large-scale community artwork and rich parade traditions.
Building excitement for the project and the artwork, teaching about the vast possibilities of parade and processional art, and creating spaces for students to share stories about what matters most to them, Spiral Q led “Pulse of the People” town hall-style assemblies with grades K-8 at each partner school. These assemblies are the kick-off to another colorful year together, introduce our work to the 5th and 6th grade students with whom we lead in depth project-based learning residencies in the Winter and Spring, and are the root of the five vibrant parades that will happen around the schools’ communities next May. These parades are a transformative opportunity for students to share their bold visions for what their communities can be. Hint: it’s not too early to mark your calendar now to make sure you can join us in May for these SPARQ parades!