Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1437090
Students in the Music Academy. working with experts in the industry on animation and game design. We are working on making this an 'a-g' class [meeting UC and CSU admis- sion requirements]." "My experience with the BRIC anima- tion class was highly positive," says Tariq Stone, a student who now attends Cali- fornia College of the Arts. "It gave me a ton of new opportunities and taught me things that have been so helpful as I go through art school. I feel like I have an expanded view on art and the entertain- ment industry thanks to those classes." At the Girls Make Beats academy, GMB professionals taught girls about sound engineering, podcasting and careers as music producers. With the smartphone filmmakers project, created by Ngissah and funded by the district, students learned writ- ing and filming skills, while collaborating with industry experts from We Make Movies, a collective that offers online tutorials, and We Uplift the World Foundation, whose mission is to create positive change through art, entertainment and education. "Students learn literacy through filmmaking and will hope- fully obtain internships and paid jobs through this program," says Ngissah; she will use a recently awarded CTA Institute for Teaching innovation grant to support the project this year. These enrichment programs have transformed students who were struggling or did not like school, says Ngissah. "I have seen students blossom and say they want to go to college and become excited about opportunities in the real world. They are happier and doing better in their regular classes. I believe that through art and STEAM, we address social-emotional learning." Ngissah, a teacher for more than two decades, also serves as professional development chair for ITA and is a member of the Instructional Leadership Corps, a partnership of CTA, the Stan- ford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education, and the National Board Resource Center at Stan- ford University to foster teaching excellence. "I'm a person who can't do just one thing at one time," she admits. " That's just the way my brain works." She moved to America from Ghana as a child. "My edu- cation in Ghana was top-notch, but not all children there receive an education." What drives her is the belief that all students deserve an excellent education. "In the United States of America — where people from other countries are dying to come so their children can have a better life — we should have excellent schools for every- body. Instead, we have schools that are struggling. Teachers shouldn't have to fight for programs in this country. But I am willing to fight — so students can achieve their dreams." Musicians at Play Student Tariq Stone got an expanded view of art and the entertainment industry, thanks to the summer animation academy.. Many summer program partners are continuing into the school year. 19 D E C E M B E R 2 0 21 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 2