WEST PALM
BEACH –
Creating a
Chinese-themed
tile mural,
writing and
performing
songs to
learn how
plants and
insects
interact,
designing
and sewing
puppets
representing
key Harlem
Renaissance
artists,
these are
just a few
examples of
how Center
for Creative
Education
artists
incorporated
art into the
way area
students
learned
subjects
such as
reading,
math and
social
studies
during the
2008 -09
school
year. To
honor the
artists for
this year’s
most
outstanding
projects in
CCE
programming
during in-
and
after-school
hours, CCE
artists,
board
members,
staff and
friends
gathered
recently at
"Portiuncula,"
the home of
Tom Pilecki,
Executive
Director of
CCE, for the
annual
Artist
Awards
Party.
"The Artist
Awards Party
is a special
evening to
thank and
recognize
our artists
for the hard
work they do
during the
school year
with area
students,"
Pilecki
began.
"Through our
in-school
and
after-school
programs,
our artists
enhance the
way students
are learning
everyday
subjects.
Each program
is unique
and special
in its own
way.
Annually we
spotlight a
few projects
that made a
huge impact
on the
children
involved by
recognizing
the artists
with the
Ralph
Hamilton
Award – the
most
distinguished
award at CCE
that is
named for
the former
director of
development
at the
MacArthur
Foundation
and
co-founder
of CCE."
The
not-for-profit
Center for
Creative
Education
uses the
arts to
enrich and
transform a
child’s
educational
experience.
The arts are
infused into
classroom
curriculum
and
after-school
settings to
enhance the
teaching of
traditional
subjects –
improving
each child’s
learning
potential
and academic
performance,
increasing
overall
enthusiasm
about school
and shaping
more
productive,
responsible
community
members that
exercise
creative
problem
solving
throughout
life.
Since its
inception in
1994, more
than 70,000
students
have
benefited
from CCE,
inspiring
their love
of learning
through the
arts.
Currently
CCE has more
than 40
artists on
their
roster.
This year’s
outstanding
in-classroom
project
Ralph
Hamilton
Award went
to John
Carlile and
Rae Randall
for their
Interdependence
of Plants
and Insects
program with
more than
120 third
graders at
Jupiter
Farms
Elementary
School.
Honorable
Mention went
to Ronni
Gerstel for
her
Harlem
Renaissance
project with
the fourth
grade
students at
UB Kinsey
Elementary
School.
The Ralph
Hamilton
Award
winners for
the outstanding
after-school
project
were
Graciela
Binaghi,
Jean Hart
Howard, Dave
Tripp and
Jashua SaRa
for their
Rites of
Passage
Celebration
project at
West Riviera
Elementary
Beacon.
Honorable
Mention went
to Kaki Holt
for her
Plant and
Eat a
Rainbow
project at
Belvedere
Elementary
School.
For more
information
on CCE
programming,
please
contact
Shawn Berry,
Director of
Educational
Programming
for the
Center for
Creative
Education at
561.805.9927
or
www.cceflorida.org.