Arts Open Hearts

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Fund the arts to open hearts

Through “Arts Opens Hearts,” the Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence leverages the arts to boost students’ social and emotional wellness. MFEE initiatives foster connection, build confidence, and provide an outlet for self-expression for students in Montclair Public Schools.

This spring, for the fourth time, MFEE staged its Intergenerational Story Slam, a semester-long storytelling project with teens and senior citizens. The initiative, is done in cooperation with Lifelong Montclair and Jessica Buel, a Montclair High School English and journalism teacher. The intergenerational cohort of students and seniors met several times throughout the semester, and spent time interviewing each other and writing stories about each other’s lives. The culminating event was a story slam where participants shared these stories aloud on stage at Van Vleck House & Gardens.

MFEE has previously brought ballroom dance and poetry into Montclair schools, awarded classroom innovation and social-emotional learning grants to music, dance and art teachers throughout the district, and facilitated giving campaigns to support visual art and marching band programs at Montclair High School.

Mad Hot Ballroom Montclair

Inspired to find ways to reach the rising number of students struggling with anxiety and isolation, Montclair middle school dance teachers proposed this innovative way to nurture human connection and self-esteem among teens. Few activities require the patience, persistence, and teamwork that ballroom dance demands.

Intergenerational Story Slam

Through MFEE's intergenerational story slams, students explore writing, storytelling, and the power of spoken word. Teens and senior citizens make authentic connections with one another and learn to craft moving pieces, proving that finding your voice has no age limit.

Middle School Poetry Slam

Through middle school poetry slams, teens are processing the range of emotions that they experience during early adolescence. This work provides an invaluable outlet for some strong feelings and is vital to teens' development. Funds support professional teaching artists who nurture strong literacy and social/emotional skills.