It's Totally Cool, Totally Art

Since October 1996, 825 teens from Austin, Texas have taken part in a unique, award-winning art experience called Totally Cool, Totally Art (TCTA). The program is sponsored by the Austin Parks and Recreation Department (APARD), and is under the direction of Maria Cicciarelli (Cultural Affairs Division Manager) and Carlos Pineda (Arts School Manager) of the Dougherty Arts Center (DAC).

During each program year, visual arts classes are offered to teens twice a week (Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday) at APARD recreation centers. Six separate four-week sessions are offered at each site. The program is designed to serve middle school children up to those who are approximately 16 years old. Starting with nine sites during the 1996-97 program year, the program has grown to involve teens front 14 sites during the current program year. While recreation center staff were initially skeptical about teens' interest in art, they now are disappointed if a program is not offered at their center.

Program Goals

TCTA is not an arts and crafts program. The classes are conducted by artists with a passion for the art medium they are teaching. The program goals are:

* Safe places/sense of belonging: to increase teens' sense of belonging, and feeling that they have safe, positive and creative environments in which to participate during available free time.

"I like the program because I had a lot of fun last year. I like art a lot and it was, you know, you have an evening with your friends instead of every

day the same thing and the programs were fun and the people were fun to be with." [Teen participant]

* To provide opportunities for new experiences in order to increase participants' knowledge, skills and possible interest in art as a career field.

"As a result of TCTA he knows more things are art rather than what he did with crayons and colored pencils and oil pastels. In his mind, art now includes things like the silk screening and sculpting and becoming more aware of other types of art mediums besides just drawing." [Parent]

* To increase teens' trust and respect for other teens, adult mentors, artists, and other authority figures.

"I like the staff members and the activities that we do in a positive manner. They always have good faith, they don't come to the sessions acting mean or with their personal problems ... The projects are ones I haven't done before and I'm having fun doing them." [Teen participant]

* To increase teens' ability to work cooperatively with other teens and communicate effectively in a group.

"And [the program] taught me how to work together with people. I'm the kind of person who is like `we are going to do this my way or we are not going to do it.' And they were like: `no, D--, you can't be like that, you can't do that D--.' So [ had to learn to work with people." [Teen participant]

* To increase teens' ability to make creative and positive choices through self-expression.

"Because of the program, I am looking into colleges that offer arts degrees." [Teen participant]

Listed in Figure 1 on page 74 are means the organizers are using to achieve each goal.

FIGURE 1. TOTALLY COOL, TOTALLY ART PROGRAM GOALS AND PROGRAM CONTENT

OBJECTIVES                  MEANS FOR ACHIEVING OBJECTIVES

Safe Places
/Sense of Belonging:        * create positive, supportive art
To increase teens'            class and mentoring environment
sense of belonging, and     * provide environment that respects
teens' feeling that they      the creativity and ability of each
teens' feeling and            participant
creative environments in    * provide opportunities for teens to
which to participate          to be responsible and making positive
during available free         choices through their participation
time.                         in art activities.

New Experiences:            * provide opportunities for youth to
To provide opportunities      be exposed to and participate in a
for new experience in         variety of art mediums
order to increase           * provide professional artists and
participants' knowledge,      quality arts supplies and equipment
skills and possible           for teens to enable gain an
skills and as a career        appreciation for and skills in
field.                        the visual arts
                            * provide opportunities for teens to
                              expand their imagination, creativity
                              and self confidence through their
                              involvement in art activities
                            * provide teens with information about
                              other community arts opportunities
                              and possible career choices for people
                              who are interested in the arts (e.g.,
                              resource lists, field trips, guest
                              speakers,planning other arts
                              activities).

Team Work/                  * encourage opportunities for teens to
Communication:                share ideas, supplies, and other
To increase teens'            resources and to resolve problems and
ability to work               conflicts through
                              collaborative efforts
cooperatively with other    * provide opportunities for teens to
teens and increase teens'     improve their ability to
ability to  communicate       communicate and gain feedback about
effectively in a group        their ideas,  thoughts, emotions,
                              and experiences through their art work
                            * provide opportunities for teens to
                              learn about the activities and
                              involvements of other program
                              participants through program
                              newsletters
                            * provide opportunities to gain
                              participants about and better
                              understand cultural diversity through
                              discussion of art from various
                              cultures and historical periods.

Respect/Trust:              * provide opportunities for youth
To increase teens'            to interact with adult role models
trust and respect for         (e.g., center staff, artists, and
other teens, adult            other adults) who keep their word
mentors, artist and other     and create a supportive learning
authority figures.            atmosphere
                            * utilize both recreation center
                              teen leaders and artists as
                              collaborative program leaders so
                              teens can benefit both from
                              contact with different artists
                              while maintaining consistent
                              contact over time with center teen
                              leaders
                            * provide opportunities for youth
                              to interact with other teens in an
                              environment that encourages respect
                              and trust
                            * provide opportunities for teens
                              to create and strengthen friendships
                              with other teens
                            * provide opportunities for teens
                              to learn responsible behavior
                              through care and use of art supplies
                              and equipment and through following
                              curriculum directions and rules
                            * provide opportunities for teens
                              to act responsibly in the storage
                              and protection of their own and
                              other's art work.

Art Education:              * provide opportunity for teens to
To increase teens'            learn new strengthen existing
ability to make creative      visual arts education concepts and
and positive choices          skills
through self-expression     * provide opportunity for teens to
                              make creative choices about the
                              content and product of their own
                              artistic endeavors
                            * provide opportunities to discuss
                              and analyze the criteria and
                              decision making processes used to
                              select artwork for exhibition at
                              the open house
                            * provide opportunities for teens
                              to gain recognition and increase
                              their pride in their accomplishes
                              through exhibiting selective art
                              work at the culminating open house
                              event
                            * provide experiences through the
                              arts that relate to math, history,
                              language, etc. and thereby increase
                              interest in school.

The types of media featured each year have changed in order to provide variety for teens who have previously participated in the program. Media presented have also been a function of availability of a qualified artist to teach the session. Media for 1998-99 included abstract art, illustration, computer animation, claymation, silk screening, bookmaking, 3-D art and movie making. For 1999-2000, media include action animation, film/video, monumental prints, art "zines," storytelling and photography.

Participants sign up for as many sessions as they wish. Target group size at each site is 20 participants for each session. For some of the sessions (claymation and computer animation), where specialized equipment or facilities are required, teens are transported to the DAC for the art portion of the program.

The program is coordinated by staff from the Dougherty Arts Center as part of the Social Fabric Initiative which is funded by the Austin City Council in an effort to deal with teen issues in the city. Many teens attending TCTA have indicated they would just be sitting at home or watching television if they were not participating in the program. Teens have also indicated that the program has provided a more structured alternative to just hanging out on the street or doing an unstructured activity. Teens see the program as a way to avoid being bored and an incentive to do well in school so they could attend the program. Some teens have seen the program as a way to pursue an already existing or new interest in art. Parents like the program because it provides opportunities beyond the usual agenda of sports.

Teen leaders at each of the community centers are responsible for day-to-day management of the program. Program Specialists employed by the DAC are responsible for hiring the artists, providing liaison with the teen leaders, ordering supplies, collecting attendance and survey data from the teen leaders, and coordinating a newsletter and the young artists exhibitions. Teen Leaders at each center recruit students and are responsible for the basic leadership and discipline for the program at their site. In some cases, two artists work together during the same session at a single site to facilitate interaction with the teens and allow the incorporation of different talents during the same session.

At each site, the TCTA program begins at approximately 5:30 p.m., with a snack or another activity organized by the teen leader from the host recreation center. From 6 to 8 p.m., the art workshop is held. The workshop is thought to be "better than a class because the kids have class all day long so they don't want to have the same thing for two hours after they get out of class." [Artist]

I think that is one of the things you love about being an artist; once your day is over, you see a big difference in the kids, and you go home and you tell whomever: "I made a little difference." To me that is one of the best things. [Artist]

Young Artists Exhibitions

Twice a year, the program sponsors an exhibition to showcase the artwork of the program participants. The exhibition takes place at different recreation centers each year. The exhibit attracts teens who have participated in the program, their parents, program staff from APARD, and city council members and other dignitaries. Several awards are given at the exhibit, including two awards to students who exemplify the Spirit of TCTA, and specific awards to students who show a high level of dedications to work in a particular art medium.

Newsletters

As part of the program, organizers create and distribute a newsletter each session. The newsletter provides continuity for the overall program by including information about program staff, dates for future sessions, tidbits about program happenings at a particular site, and information about art events throughout the city.

Referrals of Participants to Advanced Art Opportunities

A feature of the program--added this past year--was efforts to refer teens with advanced art abilities to other art classes or resources in the community that would provide advanced training and help teens continue to use art as a positive means of expression. In some cases, the teens had to show a certain level of maturity in order to insure that they would actually benefit from the opportunity presented to them. Some of these students are potential candidates for higher education in the visual arts.

Referrals are initially made by the artists, who then work in collaboration with the teen leaders to fill out the referral form. Once the form is turned into the DAC Program Specialists, different opportunities for the participant are investigated. During the past year, some participants were selected for an advanced computer animation workshop, a video production series, or an apprenticeship with a mentor. Others were given packets with scholarship applications to the Art School at the Laguna Gloria Museum of Art. If a scholarship was awarded, using funding from a private donation, up to $35 in supplies was provided to help defray any cost of the program to the family. In some cases, the Advisory Committees at the recreation centers donated the funding.

Training

Before the program begins each year, a training session is held for artists and teen leaders. The purpose of the training session is to explain program goals, policies and procedures. In addition, training gives the teen leaders a chance to meet the artists, learn about, and take part in, some of the art activities that will be presented during the program year.

General meetings of teen leaders and the program managers and specialists are also held. These meetings deal with announcements about program mechanics and issues that seem to be problematic across more than one of the community center sites. At least one meeting to iron out problems is held with the artists after the program starts each year.

Evaluation

The program has been extensively evaluated by faculty and students from the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences at Texas A&M University. Evaluations have consisted of detailed collection and analysis of registration and attendance data, cost per participant hour, perceptions of program quality and program satisfaction, and information about program outcomes. Surveys, interviews and examination of program records have been part of this process.

Workload Statistics

The following are enrollment statistics for the program, with comparative statistics across the three years where possible.

* The number of different teens served by the program increased from 289 in 1996-97, to 373 in 1997-98, and 406 in 1998-99. Part of this increase can be accounted for by the increase in program sites from 9 to 12 over the three years. For example, if data for the original nine centers are compared, the number of teens involved were 289, 314 and 308 for the three years respectively

* Teens registered for 2.3, 2.8, and 2.3 sessions respectively for each of the three years

* Seventy-two teens participated both in 1996-97 and 1997-98, 140 teens participated during both years two and three, and 34 teens participated all three years. On average, these repeat enrollees participated in more sessions and more days of participation in any given year than the average for all teens for that year

* The program was designed to handle 20 teens per session. Based on enrollment (discounting how often teens actually attended), the program has operated at 65.2, 79.0, 64.9 percent capacity respectively in each of the three years

* Approximately equal numbers of females and males have participated in the program (51.2, 47.1 and 51.1 percent female for the three years respectively)

* For the first year, 61.1 percent of the participants were 12 years of age or less, but this number fell in the next two years to 36.4 percent and 33.9 percent respectively. The change was due to purposeful efforts to emphasize enrollment of older children. Thus, the number of children 13 and above rose from 38.9 percent to 63.6 percent and 66.1 percent respectively. In the past year, only 12.2 percent of the children were 11 or less. Some of the centers were admitting 12 year olds to the program if they were in middle school

* The distribution of participants by race has remained fairly consistent over the three years, with the distribution for year three being 41.9 percent Hispanic, 34.1 percent African-American, 20.9 percent White, and 3.2 percent Other (mainly Asian)

* Total cost for the program in 1998-99 was $164,949. The cost per participant hour was $10.13 in 1996-97 (exclusive of time teens spent at exhibitions), fell to $9.38 in 1997-98, but increased to $11.52 in 1998-99. Given the overall quality of the program and its impact on the participants, the program appears to be cost effective and makes efficient use of available funds

* Costs for the program in 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99 are displayed in Table 3. Total costs were $95,906, $148,381 and $164,949 for the three years respectively. Some of the cost difference between years one and two was due to adding three recreation centers during the second year of the program, and the increase of total participant hours by 67.1 percent. For 1998-99, artist costs went up by $10,750 due to using more than one artist for many of the sessions

* The cost per participant hour was $10.13 in 1996-97 (exclusive of time teens spent at exhibitions), fell to $9.38 in 1997-98, but increased to $11.52 in 1998-99. While there were additional costs incurred in year two compared to year one, most of the increase was due to having to purchase additional supplies and also service additional sites. Van rental costs were also a bit higher due to additional costs associated with transporting teens to the Dougherty Arts Center. In two cases, recreation centers were closed due to renovations and teens had to travel by van to the Dougherty Arts Center for class sessions. In addition, the program incurred some marketing costs not incurred in 1996-97.

For the third year, additional costs were incurred to increase the number of artists at each site for many of the sessions. This was done to provide more attention for each program participant and from all indications improved the quality of the experience. Artists' salaries were also slightly increased, and additional artists were also added at some centers for some mediums. However, given the overall quality of the program and its impact on the participants, the program still appears to be cost effective and makes efficient use of available funds.

Program Quality Indicators

Through surveys, teens were asked what they liked best about the program. Responses included naming a particular media, the quality of the program staff, the availability of supplies, the opportunity to have fun, and the chance to do a variety of media. Open-ended responses were also sought for ways to improve the program. The most frequent response was to have different or more advanced experiences for teens who had worked in a particular media before or to allow teens who finished a particular project opportunities to go on to other activities without waiting for the rest of the group to finish. A few suggestions for other activities or media to offer in the program included acting, photography, and cartooning.

"They supplied a lot of stuff that we could use and they had more stuff than we expected. They had everything. [Teen participant]"

Program Satisfaction

The teens appear to be satisfied with the program, with very positive responses for whether they would recommend the program to other teens, whether they felt the program was worth their time, and whether they would sign up again in the future. Teens also indicated that the program had increased their interest in art and indicated they would like to participate in art programs in the future.

Program Effectiveness

"I like to learn how to draw and stuff I didn't know how to draw or anything or how to do a picture of yourself. I've never painted, you know done a drawing of myself. And they taught you how to do it right and you are proud of yourself for doing that." [Program participant]

Survey data indicate that the participants showed increases in a variety of areas as a result of participating in the program. Slightly different measurement procedures were used each year, but in general participants increased their ability to get along in a group, their knowledge of community resources to use during free time, and their understanding that there were adults who cared about them. Teens also indicated that they increased their interest in art and will do more art in the future as a result of participating in the program.

Results also indicated that many of the teens encountered difficult situations in their lives and that these situations negatively impacted their self-esteem, desire to remain in school and their perception that they will accomplish meaningful things in their lives. The program seems important to these teens not only for the opportunity to be involved in art activities, but also as a means of being around adult mentors who can help them deal with some of the negative issue, s they are dealing with outside the program.

Several surveys were completed by teens at the conclusion of the programs. Items related to the specific goals of the program. Teens gave the highest ratings to items dealing with ability "to do art" and "use my imagination," with lower (but still high ratings) given to items such as the ability to "share my ideas with other teens." This latter ratings may have to do with opening up oneself to others.

In general, the ratings indicate that the teens perceive that the program was successful in meeting the program's stated goals, both in helping teens develop behaviors and attitudes that will generally be useful in dealing with issues they face outside the recreation center, and specific abilities and attitudes related to art.

TCTA is a quality program that appears to be meeting its stated objectives. It has been honored with awards from the Texas Recreation and Parks Society and the National Recreation and Park Association.

"I would be very disappointed if this program was discontinued. I would write to whomever and express how much this program has benefitted her and myself knowing that my child is somewhere safe and doing constructive things. I would love to see it continue and she will be there if it does. And, I can't wait to get my younger one started, he will be here, too, when he gets old enough." [Parent]

For more information about the program evaluations, consult the evaluation reports at: wwwrpts.tamu.edu/witt/index.htm. For further information about the TCTA program, contact Carlos Pineda, Arts School Manager, Dougherty Arts Center, Austin Parks and Recreation Department, 1110 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX 78704. Phone: (512) 397-1456

Teaming up with the Park and Recreation Department in Austin, Texas, Peter Witt, professor and department head at Texas A&M University, has, for years, evaluated the city's recreation programs for youth. Now, he's delved deep into the "Totally Cool, Totally Art," program where 825 youth have experienced and learned about a variety of visual arts. Witt has been involved in the city's youth programs for the past six years and now takes us into the lives of these Austin teens.

COPYRIGHT 2000 National Recreation and Park Association
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group