Kids are asked “If you were arrested for kindness, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

Sedona AZ (February 24, 2013) – This year the Sedona Arts Center partners with West Sedona School, the new Sedona YMCA and the City of Sedona Artists in the Classroom Project will bring its annual three day Arts Immersion to the middle-school program at West Sedona School.

On Feb 26, 27 and 28th students were learning aspects of their curriculum through the arts by engaging in 5 different art projects. The projects are built around the ‘Character Counts’ program which is a national program reinforcing the “Six Pillars of Character” originally created by the Josephson Institute and the YMCA. The program is used nationally by schools to reinforce character traits that help enrich individual lives and build a sense of community.

Over the three days students will explore 5 art projects designed to be educational, fun and artistic. Conversations about the YMCA’s Six Pillars of Character will help students contemplate the creative process. An example of a conversation starter is “If you were arrested for kindness, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” In one project they will make 6 vertical mosaic tile banners decoratively portraying the 6 character traits spelled out with a traditional Roman border. These are ultimately being mounted on the 6 pillars in the school cafeteria. Students will also do a collage project where they identify the character traits in magazine images and collage the images into a painted profile silhouette that they have outlined from their own cast shadow. Students will make a handmade book and write a short story on one of the character traits and use this as the first entry in their book. They will also creatively interpret the character traits through a dance project. The fifth project is a film about the overall immersion project. Students will study the filmmaking process, take raw footage and conduct interviews. This footage will then be edited during the following week in the new Afterschool Film Club sponsored by a grant from the Sedona Community Foundation to the YMCA and coordinated by the Sedona Arts Center.

Sponsoring Funders – Sedona Arts Center, Kids Tax Credit, Sedona Community Foundation, YMCA, City of Sedona Artists in the Classroom Project

The 6 Pillars of Character are Trustworthiness, Responsibility, Caring, Respect, Fairness, and Citizenship

The Afterschool Film Club at the Sedona YMCA teen center will continue to expand on the Character Education by meeting to edit versions of the film on the theme of Artmaking the week after the immersion. The sessions will be overseen by YMCA staff and taught by Ron Melmon and they will take place at the West Sedona School Digital Media Lab. The editing takes place March 4th through the 8th.

Participants in the project will develop their skills using iMovie to edit film; creating a story with imagery, voice, text, graphics and music. The After School Film Club will continue after spring break at the YMCA with at least 2 other film projects on the themes of Nature and Imagination.

The YMCA is located at 525-B Posse Ground Road in Posse Grounds Park (former teen center). Office hours: 2:30-6:00PM, M-F. Phone: (928) 282-1695. Website: SedonaYMCA.org Email: jallen23@vosymca.org Follow the Y on Facebook: Sedona YMCA