A Collaboration Between Community Organizations to Provide New Access to the Arts
CAP, in partnership with Kids Hope Alliance (KHA), Duval County Public Schools (DCPS), and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, as well as numerous cultural organizations across Northeast Florida collaborated on a comprehensive field trip program for elementary school students.
This summer from June 11 through July 18, CAP provided cultural experiences for more than 2,000 elementary school students from both public and charter schools. Partner organizations included the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Jacksonville, Jacksonville Symphony, Ritz Theatre & Museum, Florida Theatre, Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, St. John’s Cathedral, Jacksonville Dance Theatre and the Jessie Ball duPont Center. The effort helped spark student interest and access to the arts.
Children enjoyed a free performance at the Florida Theatre during the field trip initiative pilot program in the summer of 2023.
“Experiential opportunities to engage with the arts ignite students’ imagination and provide a foundation for future interest in arts education” said Rev. Kimberly L. Hyatt, CAP president & CEO. “We are excited to grow this research-backed initiative with a dynamic collective of community partners dedicated to supporting our mission to make Northeast Florida a national model for equitable arts education.”
CAP’s Landscape of Education in the Arts in Duval (LEAD) survey data showed the main priority in service of improving access to arts education for Jacksonville’s children was implementing a field trip initiative for all elementary school students. Through CAP’s work with Florida Data Science for Social Good (FL-DSSG) at the University of North Florida, data collected from the LEAD surveys showed that even one field trip experience to a cultural destination like a museum or theatre drastically improves student grades in literacy, math and science.
Students enjoy digital art-making at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens.
The participating students received a Field Trip Passport when they attended their first arts excursion. Children were encouraged to collect a sticker from each organization they visited, either as a part of the official field trip or if they visited later with their families over the summer. The Field Trip Passport included an introduction by City of Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan and blank pages for students to write about what they learned during each experience. In addition, participants received downloadable worksheets, accessed from the Field Trip Guide webpage, that provided them with additional resources from participating organizations. These worksheets highlighted vocabulary exercises as well as pre- and post-field trip activities to reinforce learning from the experience while at home over summer break.
Participating students will receive a field trip passport with creative prompts, stickers of cultural organizations and activity pages for pre- and post-field trip reflections.
“To experience art in person is an opportunity for inspiration that every child deserves,” said Dr. Saralyn Grass, CEO of Kids Hope Alliance. “We are proud to partner with CAP to make sure all children have access to cultural experiences that are sure to positively impact their lives today and possibly their future, as well.”
Funding for this initiative is provided by the Kids Hope Alliance, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Duval County Public Schools, PNC Bank, Rice Family Foundation and Jessie Ball duPont Fund.
Opportunities to partner with CAP on this important program are available. For more information about how to support the Arts Integrated Field Trip Initiative, email Dr. Lucy Chen at lucy@capkids.org.
