A Delicate Balance: Principles and Practices Of Promising Arts And Humanities Programs
Effective programs begin small and keep their classes small. One of the reasons these programs have an impact on young lives is that the classes are small. Hands-on learning and apprenticeship programs necessitate small classes. Since mentoring, academic, artistic and personal, lies at the heart of the power of these programs, any dilution of the adult-child relationship diminishes their impact.
"There is a lot of one-to-one time that is spent with adult role models, people who are respected, who pay attention and who give sensitive guidance to the young people," says Bernie Lopez, executive director of the Center for Contemporary Arts of Santa Fe. "That's something that's almost totally absent in their lives. They get almost no one-to-one time with an adult anywhere, certainly almost none at school."
There are practical reasons for beginning small, as well. Putting programs such as these in place requires intense labor. Ensuring success is even more challenging. Beginning with a small number of children is important until a step-by-step strategy for expansion can be implemented.