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Join Our Mailing List| New Mexico State University MSC RC, Box 30001 Las Cruces, NM 88003 |
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| Phone: | (505) 646-5386 |
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| Fax: | (505) 646-2827 |
| Title: | New Mexico State University Family Life Center |
| Project Period: | 08/01/03 - 07/31/06 |
| FLC Director: | Lisa J. Bond-Maupin, Ph.D. |
| Target Group: | Alternative School High School Students |
| The New Mexico State University Family Life Center (FLC) offers an arts-based program through a local community center, the Court Youth Center (CYC), for 35 predominantly Hispanic at-risk students of the Pioneer Alternative Program, a Las Cruces Public Schools district educational alternative for high school students on long-term suspension from their home schools. The academic year program for these students is divided into three components. The in-school component offers Art Studies and Communication Studies classes, for which the students can earn two elective credits. The weekend component includes a group and an individual theme oriented activity that bring youth and their families together for learning, play, and creative, culturally-relevant activities. The after school component utilizes a workshop format that is part of the "Art in Peacemaking: Conflict Resolution Through the Arts for Community Arts-Based Youth Programs" approach where students learn group facilitation and activity organization skills. Students are given the opportunity to create/produce: art and nature community gardens, community murals based on the theme of multiculturalism, poetry slam, a reader's theatre production based on stories from indigenous peoples of the southwest and Mexico, and a cookbook of healthy variations of favorite family recipes. The 4½ week summer enrichment program recruits from the 35 students in the school-year program and two other alternative schools, The San Andres Academy and the STAY program. Summer program participants select from three projects: Art and Nature Community Gardening, hands-on education in organic gardening science and technique; a mural project depicting the programs and activities of the FLC; and a reader's theatre project. High school summer school credit is offered for one class. In addition to the CYC and Las Cruces Public Schools, partners in the program include the Southwest Environmental Center, Branigan Public Library, and Youth Advocates Alliance. |