Big Thought:Our Mission

Mission

To make imagination a part of everyday learning.

Vision

We envision communities where every learner is immersed every day in opportunities to imagine, create and succeed.

Project Overview: System Building

Our community believes

that it’s the relationship

between a variety of high

quality creative learning

experiences, designed to 

build over time,

Which result in lasting benefits

for children and their

community.

Out of School Time Creative

Learning

Integrated Creative Learning

In School Creative Learning

Children

Thriving Minds Cycle: Listen, Learn, Respond

•Conversations within communities•Family, Student Interviews•Other Research

•What does the community want?•What kinds of arts learning opportunities are there?

•Design mechanisms that address what we’ve learned•Actualize in the communities•Begin Cycle all over again

Listening: Community Conversations

A picture of what there is, and what there needs to be

167 members representing the education, philanthropic and cultural communities attended six meetings to create a cohesive vision of arts offerings in Dallas.

Learning: Community Conversations

Arts Learning requires:

•Interdependent and Interconnected Systems

• Variety of Supportive Roles • Active Engagement & Participation

Quality

Inclusion

Empowerment

Communication

Accessibility

Neighborhood-based

Common Themes Key Issues

Research Components• Need for Arts Learning: Parent Survey

Parent Interviews

Teacher Survey

Student Interviews

Community Leadership Interviews

• Arts Learning Assets School Survey

Community and Cultural Institution Survey

Family Unit Interviews

Learning: ResearchPreliminary Findings

Learning: Parents as Key

Out of School Time Creative

Learning

Integrated Creative Learning

In School Creative Learning

Children

The three learning

environments depend heavily

on and react frequently with

parents

Learning: Parent Interviews Findings

•The home is often the most important venue for early arts learning.•Parents perform a wide range of creative activities•In school, out of school, and after school learning is deeply linked

© June, 2009 by Big Thought. Thriving Minds is managed by Big Thought.

Parent Interviews: Results

Neighborhood problems

wasting time, unproductive activities unsafe outdoor play low achievement, over-emphasis on

testing vandalism

Creative learning solutions

multi-age programming to serve family units

programmatic pathways fostering progressive learning

mentorship & leadership opportunities for youth & adults

community building & networking

Learning:Parent Engagement

Pathways

Personal Experience: Connect message to real experiences

Education: Provide access & information

Involvement: Neighborhood Leadership Teams

Advocacy: Mobilize leaders to promote resources for creative learning

Awareness: Spread the word about the value of arts learning

Responding:Coordinating

Neighborhoods

leverage

coordinate

connect

Meet w/Neighborhood

Leaders

Discuss Community

Values

IdentifyNeighborhoodSupply and

Demand

Host CommunityOrientation

Allocate Funds &

ImplementPrograms

Information Session

with Community Providers

Document & Report

PartnershipImpact

Responding:Neighborhood Leadership

Teams

Elementary School

Middle School

High School

Recreation Center

Park

Library

Private School

Cultural Institution

Community Asset Collecting: Protocol

What we’re asking Why we’re asking

Genre (Dance, Visual Art, Spoken Word) Discipline and Cost Association

Neighborhoods Served Relevance in the Community

Connections to other Cultural Institutions

Referrals and Leverage Points

*Always Update Contact Information

Connecting Assets and Needs

Need Asset

Thriving Minds

Engaging ParentsAlfreda Rollins

“What we found was that when we invest in the families, the families invest in themselves”

•Recruited to join Neighborhood Leadership Team

•Has a long history of advocating for education as a PTA President

•Brought with her a wealth of relationships, connections, and ideas

•Helped to pilot a summer camp, whose programming guided the expansion of our summer programming

•Sons are now teaching kids as part of creative workforce instructional team

Engaging the Community:Camp Metal Head

“When we mapped what services were provided where and in what disciplines, we could quickly see there was nothing for teens to do in the summer. That spurred conversations about what we could do with them.”

• Six weeks of apprentice-like study, facilitated by a professional artist

•The Dallas Public Library helped recruit teens

•Food and gasoline were provided by local businesses

•Students coached how to find professional opportunities through their new skill

•Graduates of the program can mentor new students

Engaging Institutions:Libraries

• 10 local organizations were involved in putting together this event.

•134 families participated in the services offered

•YA artist Junanne Peck created an interactive “jungle” for children to explore in

•This year, the same project will be duplicated, infusing creative learning into programming

Going Forward: A new vision for the hubs

Cultural Institution Community

Based Organization

Recreation Center

Parent Leaders

Library

Church

Elementary School

Middle School

High SchoolCurrent presence

Planned

Future

•Year-Round After School and Summer Programming

•Technical Assistance •Technology Support

•Communications Support•Gap Funding

•Professional Development

Cultural Institution Community

Based Organization

Recreation Center

Parent Leaders

Library

Church

Going Forward: System of Creative Learning

Instructors

# of Creative parents and citizens

# of Pre-professional creative students

# of Professional creatives, non-teachers

# of Professional creative learning instructors

Going Forward:Ensuring Quality

Climate thatSupports Art Learning

Engagement and Investment in Learning Classroom Dialogue and Sharing

Skills, Techniquesand Knowledge of the Discipline Creative Choices Expectations, Assessment and

Recognition

SUPPORTS FOR LEARNING

RIGOROUS AND CREATIVE LEARNING

Six Dimensions of QualityResearch conducted by : Arts specialists, researchers, teachers, national experts and Big Thought staff

Going Forward:A Road to Shared Civic

Outcomes

Increased Creative Capital

An Excellent System

An Equitable System

Livable and Productive City

Big Thought:Contact Information

Gigi AntoniPresident/CEOgantoni@bigthought.org

Erin OffordCommunity Specialisteofford@bigthought.org

www.bigthought.org