Beyond Walls has partnered with Lynn Public Schools and St. Marys to bring the classroom to the streets. (Ferns Francois)
LYNN — Lynn Public Schools (LPS) and St. Mary’s have painted a partnership with Beyond Walls, to refine the non-profit’s interdisciplinary arts-based education program, Classroom to the Streets (CTTS).
“The program, up until now, has had 19 lessons and lesson plans based on our artwork that we’ve installed here in Lynn,” Al Wilson, founder and CEO of Beyond Walls said. “Those lesson plans were taught in the classroom setting, and then Beyond Walls has let thousands of students, mostly middle school and high school, through this program.”
Now, with the refined version of the program, LPS and St. Mary’s art teacher fellows have been paired with street artists to design and install large-scale public art at various city locations.
The teachers, along with Beyond Walls educators, will create lesson plans around the co-designed public art installations, targeting specific learning outcomes for students.
“The educators would inform the artist about what some of their struggles are and their students’ struggles are, the themes that have emerged through their teachings and learnings with the students, and then that would then define the design as well as the install of new large scale public art,” Wilson said. “Again, still reflecting the diverse cultures that are here in Lynn, but while addressing specific student learning outcomes.”
Along with blending the students and teachers with the artists to create a piece that defines them all, the teachers will be able to earn CTE (Career and Technical Education) credits for the work they do.
“So effectively, they’re continuing their education through this, which is great,” Wilson said.
This fall, students will be able to attend field trips and mural tours through the program, connecting what they learn in the classroom, to what they see on the street.
“We think this is a sort of way to increase the student engagement by leveraging the power of culturally relevant street art. But also, it’s kind of for the folks, or being developed by the folks, that most know that student body,” Wilson said.
