As a Visual Arts teacher at Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School, I work with diverse groups of high school students from ninth through twelfth grades. Students select a general arts area upon which to focus, during their high school years, from the following choices: Creative Writing, Dance, Music, Theater, or Visual Arts. By senior year many students specialize within their arts discipline; in Visual Arts electives include those in graphic design, video, photography, sculpture and ceramics, mixed media, and fashion. All Visual Arts students read and write within the discipline and all build skills in observation and critique. By developing this unit in Image-Making, I anticipate the strengthening of my own skill to nurture the students' abilities to observe, make connections, and create significant artwork.
As reported on the school's website, Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School (CO-OP) draws its student population from the greater New Haven area, including thirty neighboring towns. Admission is by lottery, resulting in a wide range of backgrounds, interest levels, and abilities. Approximately 65% of the student body hales from New Haven, with the remaining 35% from outside of New Haven. CO-OP's school day starts at 7:15 and ends at 2:15, with the majority of the student body participating in an extensive after school program. During this extended day students are able to sample arts areas other than their own selected areas of focus.