Not long ago I wrote about how depressed I was by a Washington Post article titled, “Can Kickstarter save arts education?” It was full of gloomy statistics:
- Nearly one in 10 U.S. secondary schools has no music program.
- Eleven percent don’t teach art.
- More than half have cut theater.
- Nine in 10 have cut dance.
And it suggested at least one possible solution—arts programs funded through Kickstarter.
I still find the idea depressing—after all, no one is suggesting crowd funding for reading or math (at least not yet) and I believe the arts are every bit as essential in education as other “basics.” But that wasn’t the point of the article. The Post article was about School of Doodle, a free peer-to-peer online art school founded by artist Molly Logan.
School of Doodle is not intended to replace arts education. For one thing, it focuses entirely on teen girls. What does it do? Here’s its Kickstarter introduction.
I love the beginning of their story:
“A year ago we asked ourselves why there wasn’t a Khan Academy for Creativity….”
Why indeed? The story continues to describe School of Doodle as a school by girls, for girls.
A peer-to-peer, self-directed learning lab, School of Doodle is dedicated to activating girls’ imaginations through entertainment, education and community. With its free online curriculum, School of Doodle is a new kind of digital learning experience where artists, creators and students are the teachers and imagination and creativity are the lessons.
I’m fascinated by School of Doodle and want to follow where it is heading. At the moment it has met its funding goal, but I’m sure another one will be coming soon. Take a look at their Kickstarter website and see what intrigues you. There’s a sample Doodle Challenge, and lots of information about what they’re up to. Or check their Facebook page or Twitter feed. I’m anxious to follow along, and you might be, too—especially if you know any teen girls.
creativiteach 