Continued Arts Immersion Funding Eyed

OCEAN CITY - In an effort to increase Arts Immersion programs throughout Worcester County, representatives from Snow Hill Middle School presented the Board of Education with their Arts Immersion success this week, encouraging the board to continue with Arts Immersion programs.

Arts Immersion has been garnering strength throughout county schools as educators aim to enhance learning through the inclusion of art in curriculum in relevant and natural ways.

Several teachers have attended the Maryland Artist Teacher Institute over the past two years in an effort to learn effective ways to integrate the arts into various subject areas.

Snow Hill Middle School partnered with The Walter's Museum this year in Baltimore to expand on its Arts Immersion program with sixth-grade students.

'What we found was that students can look at the artwork, learn from it, and see curriculum in a different light,' said Debra Passalacqua.

Passalacqua reported that by partnering the Arts Immersion program and goals with a social studies lesson on Egypt, students were able to learn in a unique way. She noted the student's enthusiasm for the curriculum, adding that students in other grades began requesting similar lessons.

'It's easier for us to understand what we are learning,' reported a Snow Hill Middle School student.

Passalacqua explained to the board that through hands on activities, students gain a better understanding of the curriculum.

'We found that students met objectives, both in social studies and the arts. We're doing similar things in the other subject areas as well.'

Passalacqua urged the board to continue with Arts Immersion funding, noting its success so far.

Snow Hill Middle is not the only school in the county building on Arts Immersion, other area schools have been integrating arts into subject matter as well, including Berlin Intermediate School, noted the board, agreeing to continue encouraging the curriculum.