Item 08 - Receive and File Bowers Museum Report

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AFTER SCHOOL LEARNING CENTER AT KIDSEUM The Bowers offers a free After School Learning Center for Santa Ana children grades 1 st-8th (younger sisters and brothers in Kindergarten can register with an older sibling in 1 st grade and above.) It runs from 2:30 - 5:30 Monday - Friday all year. The After School Learning Center at Bowers' Kidseum is an enrichment program that provides year-round after school care, homework support, and arts and cultural instruction to underserved students that reside and attend schools in Santa Ana. When students arrive in the afternoon, they are served healthy snacks and then the rest of their (up to) three hours at the program includes a mixture of homework support, special art -class and art -making activities, free play, organized programs with special guest instructors and/or performances, as well as scheduled visits to the Bowers Museum to tour permanent and special exhibitions. At the end of each school year, students are taken by bus to a local college to expose them to colleges and develop a visible pathway to college. For parents, guardians and teacher, there are even more reasons to come as our yearly surveys show the program has a big impact on the lives of the local children and their families: • 100% of students improved their math skills • 91 % improved their English language arts skills • 90% improved their social studies skills • 85% improved their science skills • 100% of parents reported improved behavior at home • 99% of parents reported improved self-esteem and confidence in their children • 90% of parents believe their children have bene- fited from the program because they learn about a variety of cultures through art programs and museum exhibits ANNE'S TREASURES This arts engagement program for seniors takes place every 2nd and 4th Thursday morning and serves over 100 participants at each event. Seniors age 62 and over from the broader community are welcomed to the museum to enjoy and learn about different cultural art traditions from around the world. The majority of participants are from the local Vietnamese, Chinese and Latino communities. When creating art, the brain is always at work, there are decisions to be made about subject, placement, color choice and size. Creating art lessens anxiety into relaxation as seniors become immersed in a project that gives them a feeling of control over their environment. Evaluations of regular attendees have shown evidence of significant impact and growth in mental health as well as arts and cultural understanding. I► i