The Ifetayo/P.S. 361 AIE Partnership is designed to provide drama, poetry/creative writing, visual and multimedia arts, African dance across the Diaspora, and music instruction through vital and engaging interdisciplinary arts education, tutorials, peer and adult mentoring. Ifetayo provides ancillary services by working with school administrators, teachers, youth, parent associations and other community-based organizations. The partnership combines and utilizes resources to create a holistic community that encourages youth and family development and directly addresses challenges identified by the school community. The objective is to collectively plan, implement, coordinate, expand, and integrate educational services. The partnership is designed to encourage academic performance and decrease risk factors that contribute to poor performance. The partnership provides linkages to both National and New York State academic and artistic standards, Blueprints For Teaching and Learning in the Arts, tools for teacher motivation and skill development and improves parent involvement and support. The program also places a strong emphasis on professional development for both P.S. 361 teachers and Ifetayo teaching artists. We believe that to empower a community you must start with its children.

Achievements:

• Introduction to Ifetayo Cultural Arts through a series of performances and parent/student workshops in Spring 2007.
• Ifetayo and PS 361 collaborate on an eight week African Dance residency in Spring 2008.
• Ifetayo and PS 361 begin AIE partnership in Phase I which includes simultaneous planning and implementation in February 2008.
• Ifetayo and PS 361 completed pilot residency in Theater and Afro-Brazilian Dance in June 2008.