Best Point Education & Behavioial Health
5050 Madison Road
Cincinnati, OH 45227
CATS
Grant Application:
Best Point (formerly The Children's Home) is partnering with CATS to create additional pathways for at risk high schoolers that increase their chances of graduation, employability and/or post-secondary education. These opportunities include expanding our arts, life skills and job readiness programming. All programming will meet Ohio Department of Education visual arts standards for earning credits towards graduation as well as offer seals or certifications where possible. This added diversity in curriculum along with the tenants of the program will add remarkable value to student success.
Grant Evaluation Report:
From August 2022 – October 2022: Jacob Boehne, art teacher for the internal program was delayed on implementing the Hero’s Journey Course of Study while CATS leadership tried to get the External Program started. (Jacob can fill you in on what he was doing during this time).
Starting Nov. 1, 2022, the following preparations to open The Hero’s Journey thematic unit began:
• Laura Greene, CATS Education Director began staff training on the Hero’s Journey theme (virtually) with Internal Program staff (Jacob Boehne, Coya Osborne and Robin Dexter). Two virtual zoom meetings occurred to review the context of each of the 10 steps to the Hero’s Journey and to Brainstorm on correlating projects.
• Study Pieces: As the students learn about the Hero’s Journey in the context of the 10 steps, students are also doing small study pieces to illustrate each step. These study pieces are practiced for the final piece for the art show to come. *See attached semester plan
Jacob did projects with his students between Aug and Nov 1, they just weren’t (to my knowledge) part of the Hero’s Journey theme. He could explain more.
During September 2022 – Dec. 2022 Best Point and CATS continued to integrate the core tenets of the CATS program into the existing Best Point art program and expand opportunities for participation to (#) younger students from the TCH lower school in grades K-8. The components of the CATS program continue to be implemented in the Best Point art class with a greater degree of integrity as the staff becomes more comfortable with the following CATS core tenets.
? Business meetings
? Thematic Unit that addresses a big idea
? Design Thinking (Problem-Solving Model)
? Sketchbooks (serves as a notebook too)
? Smart Goals
? Behavior training consistent with college and career
? Presenting ideas
? Self-evaluation for performance
? Gallery Show
There are some modifications to the internal CATS program delivery for the high school and lower school students enrolled in Best Point. These modifications have to do with credit requirements and content modifications which are being made by the TCH art teacher. These modifications include:
• Delivery of the thematic unit is done in parts rather than as a whole.
• Assignment modifications are made for students with defined needs.
• A broad scope of media choices are provided to maintain interest and engagement.
• Individual supports for students consistent with their educational needs and shorter class period
• Outside assignments which are done outside of the CATS hands-on program are suggested but not required for credit.
• Students are taught in 50-minute class periods twice per week rather than the CATS model of a 2-hour immersion once per week.
• One art educator presents students with various media to work with for specific projects which are not studio specific as the media would be in a Digital Multimedia
studio or a Ceramics studio.
• Adult support staff are present to help students with their work.
In November students in the internal program were introduced to the theme for the year, “The Heroes Journey”. This theme based on the work of Joseph Campbell will guide students through the 10 steps for facing the challenges as identified by Joseph Campbell. The theme will actually begin in January when the students return from winter break. Details of the theme are explained in the attached document, Suggestions for the Internal program Hero Journey (1)
The CATS artistic coordinator is now able to provide support during BP educational program hours. In March thanks to the Charles H Dater Foundation he will start providing CATS instruction to 40+ students on our Bond Hill Campus.
Website:
http://www.bestpoint.org Amount: $25,000
Date: June 2022
