A Collaboration Between Community Organizations to Provide New Access to Arts
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – June 5, 2024 – The Cathedral Arts Project (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 announced today a collaborative field trip program for elementary school students.
This summer from June 11 through July 18, CAP will provide cultural experiences for up to 4,500 elementary school students from both public and charter schools. Partner organizations include 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 is meant to spark student interest and access to the arts.
“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 shows the main priority in service of improving access to arts education for Jacksonville's children is 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.
The participating students will receive a Field Trip Passport before they attend their first arts excursion. Children will be encouraged to collect a sticker from each organization they visit, either as a part of the official field trip, or if they visit with their families over the summer. The Field Trip Passport includes 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 will receive downloadable worksheets that can be accessed from the Field Trip Initiative website by teachers and caregivers that will provide them with additional resources from participating organizations. These worksheets will highlight vocabulary exercises as well as pre- and post-field trip activities to reinforce learning from the experience while at home over summer break.
“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.
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About the Cathedral Arts Project:
The Cathedral Arts Project (CAP) is a nationally recognized nonprofit provider of arts education and therapeutic programs for children and young adults in Northeast Florida. CAP’s mission is to empower every child’s creative spirit, elevate arts educators in their field and advocate for access and equity in arts education. Learn more at capkids.org.
About Kids Hope Alliance:
With the vision that every child and youth will reach their academic, career, and civic potential, Kids Hope Alliance: The Jacksonville Partnership for Children, Youth, and Families (KHA), a fiscal agency of the City of Jacksonville, is responsible for overseeing the implementation and management of children and youth programs, services, and activities, accomplished through third-party service providers. For more information, please visit www.kidshopealliance.org.