Williamson kids use SMARTS to develop skills

Staff report

youngstown

Students at Williamson Elementary School worked to develop their math and reading skills through a program at Youngstown State University’s SMARTS — Students Motivated by the Arts.

Williamson students were bused to SMARTS on eight Saturday mornings. After breakfast, they worked with the teaching staff at Williamson Elementary for two hours to develop skills in reading and math.

Some Saturdays they waited in the rain and snow, but they were diligent about attending these classes, Principal Wanda Clark said of their experience

“The informal setting of the SMARTS Center enabled the students to expand their creative thinking,” she said. “Each Saturday, the students came with an open mind and willingness to discover new experiences about themselves and the world around them.

The teaching staff of Williamson and the YSU SMARTS staff encouraged the students to think independently, challenge themselves, and use resources available to them in order to maximize student learning.”

Clark said she hopes to continue the program next year with the support of Superintendent Connie Hathorn.

Leslie Cusano, SMARTS program coordinator, taught the arts portion of the day with a Storytelling Through Digital Photography class where the students created their own photo story using digital cameras.

Not only did they learn technical aspects of photography and how to use the cameras, but also how to tell a story through their pictures. Creative writing brought their stories to life and added detail for their own personal storybooks filled with photography.

SMARTS was created in 1997 to support the YSU mission as an urban institution and serves to provide diversity to the College of Fine & Performing Arts and the university at large. SMARTS has raised more than $1.6 million since 2001.

The community art school offers free classes in visual arts, music, dance, theater and creative writing for K-12 students from the Mahoning Valley region while providing early teaching opportunities for YSU students.

Overseen by the College of Fine & Performing Arts and the Beeghly College of Education, and in partnership with the Youngstown City Schools and the many arts organizations in the community, SMARTS is seen as a leader in quality arts education.

In March, SMARTS was named as one of the top 50 after-school art programs in the country from the President’s Award for Arts and Humanities for the second time.

SMARTS also earned the distinction in 2006.