A Delicate Balance: Principles and Practices Of Promising Arts And Humanities Programs
Because both the Washington State Historical Society, Capital Museum and the Vermont Council on the Humanities programs work in partnership with health, social service and/or education systems, the artists and scholars are part of a multidisciplinary team.
Nan Elsasser does not have a social worker on staff, but she advocates for the Working Classroom teens herself. "The sad part of it is, there's a real difference when I go to school
for someone, and the
parents do."
Most programs do not have formal links with other service providers, but like Elsasser, going the "extra mile" for children is part and parcel of the program's work. This commitment to service is the overriding reason these programs can make such a difference in the lives of young people.
Effective programs are gateways to other services for children. While the directors are clear that they offer arts and humanities programs and not social service programs, they also recognize that the programs can be gateways to other services for their constituents. They can teach children how to navigate other networks. They can advocate on their behalf. "Obviously, part of the kid needs to brush his teeth, and part of him needs to go to the dentist, and part of the kid needs shoes on his feet and the other part of the kid needs a stimulating environment and an opportunity to express himself artistically and to be fed and nurtured. It is all part of the kid," says Capanna. Recent Head Start funding has allowed his Kaleidoscope Preschool Program to hire a full-time social worker to coordinate services for
children and act as a bridge to families.