The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Paradise Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) Community Education Department are partnering to pilot a six-week afterschool program in 25 participating schools in an effort to engage students through hands-on experience using the teachings and principles of the iconic architect’s work.
The new afterschool initiative will begin in the fall for students in second through fifth grades with one lesson plan per week focusing on a different facet of architecture including the use of glass, color and shapes. Each lesson plan is accompanied by a video featuring a member of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation team introducing a basic principle of architecture and applying it to the design and creation of Wright’s winter home in Scottsdale, Ariz., Taliesin West. The topics include concepts such as why various shapes are used in the design process, how glass allowed Wright to connect the indoors with the outdoors, and the ways in which he used art in his designs by incorporating stained glass and mirroring the colors of the surrounding landscape to what he was creating.
The programming, designed to align with the current S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) curriculum being taught in the classroom, offers less structure to allow more creative freedom for the students. Throughout the course of the six weeks, students will work on a project that simulates stained glass with the idea that it will encourage them to apply each of the concepts they learned during the six weeks into a real-world practice.
“The driving force behind this partnership is to find ways to engage students in the creative areas of art and architecture by using the innovative concepts invented by Frank Lloyd Wright and applying them to the real world,” said DeDee Ludwig-Palit, Vice President of Public Engagement at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. “Wright was always anticipating future challenges that didn’t exist yet and what made him so great was that he was always one step ahead. We want to help inspire the next generation of critical thinkers who will be able to find creative solutions to problems that don’t even exist today. That means we need to challenge them to think outside of the box and develop an acute awareness of what the future might bring.”
“Students need to experience learning opportunities that are unique, meaningful and relevant. Through partnerships, we are able to connect teachers with field experts who can share content that creates authentic and engaging learning,” said Michael Linn, director of community education at PVUSD. “We are now able to open a door for students within a classroom that leads to full-color, real-world experiences outside of a textbook.”
Once the pilot program has ended, both organizations will assess the strengths and weaknesses to refine and build a bigger, more robust program. The end goal is to scale the concept and offer the curriculum to a wider audience, initially including regions with Frank Lloyd Wright sites throughout the country.
On September 12, participating teachers will visit Taliesin West to learn about the curriculum and receive training on all things Frank Lloyd Wright.
To learn more about the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation’s other programming, including education initiatives, visit FrankLloydWright.org. Click here for information on Paradise Valley Unified School District.
