FY10 Highlights
Youth Education Programs
The Preservation Trust introduced three new family programs at the Robie House: LEGO® Architects, The Wright 3 Experience, and Art Glass Done Wright.
Multi-session in-school programs grew from 17 in FY09 to 23 in FY10. Four classrooms at Irma C. Ruiz and Edward N. Hurley Elementary Schools were funded by the Chicago Public Schools. A seventh grade class at Daniel Hale Williams School was funded through Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education. The Little Builders program, in which primary grade students build box structures and learn about community planning, found its way into Bernard Zell School in Chicago and Hubbard Woods School in Winnetka, for which it was customized based on the Winnetka community. Highcrest Middle School adopted Building in Community, a residential design and model-building program.
At Courtenay Language Arts Center, students were immersed in Focus on Japan, thanks to funding from the University of Chicago’s Center for East Asian Studies. A linoleum block prints project culminated with an exhibition and opening reception at Sulzer Regional Library in Chicago. Nearly all students and their families attended.
With funding from the Oak Park Education Foundation, the Preservation Trust participated in Art Start, introducing Oak Park elementary students to architectural concepts, art-glass design, and community planning. Students’ designs from an Art Glass Done Wright workshop were displayed at an art gallery in Oak Park’s Harrison Street Arts District.
Fifth grade students from Irma C. Ruiz School in Chicago created a garden plan for their school community garden. Using the ideas of Friedrich Froebel, Frank Lloyd Wright and Jens Jensen for inspiration, they explored the school property for places to have a garden, researched native plants, designed and modified a garden plan as a class, and planted the school garden. The project concluded with a visit to the Home and Studio in Oak Park for a Naturally Wright tour of the historic site.
At Chicago area schools and libraries, we offered 97 single-session programs, including Froebel and pentomino workshops, LEGO Architects and Art Glass Done Wright.
The ever-popular Youth Architecture Workshop, held in Wright’s Oak Park drafting room during the summer, served 38 students.
Twelve students from grades 6 through 9 completed training to join the ranks of our Junior Interpreters at the Home and Studio and the Robie House.
The Preservation Trust’s interactive Web site, ArchitectStudio3D.org, was updated with more choices for designing a house with Wright as a guide, and an improved look and functionality.
